No One
by Undecided13
Summary: Everyone's paired up. Keefe and Sophie. Fitz and Linh. Tam and Biana. And Dex and . . . No one? If that's the case, then how could you blame the poor little Technopath when he falls in love with a girl on a trip to a Forbidden City with his friends? Everything works out for them. Or, does it? You can never be too sure if the girl is . . . human?
1. Chapter 1

**A/N) Hello, my wonderful readers! Undecided13 here with another one of her stories! This one originally started out as a one/two-shot for my other series (which, btw, you should totally check out), but it got way to long. I mean, it's already for chapters! So, with help from some of my readers, I decided to make it its own story! I hope you all enjoy!**

No one

Well, looks like my predictions came true.

Ahem.

Allow me to elaborate.

After Keefe confessed his feelings to Sophie, Fitz was heartbroken. After he got over it, he asked out Linh, and they-along with Keefe and Sophie-are now a happy couple. I thought i might had a chance with Biana, but Tam asked her out before i could, and now, here i am.

All alone.

With no one.

But, what i had kinda wanted to happen was Fitz getting to Sophie first, leaving Keefe with no one, and then Tam and Biana would become a thing-as much as i liked Biana-and then i would ask out Linh, because i kinda like her too.

But nope.

I have this thing called Hopeless Crushes Syndrom.

Symptoms: Being me.

It's been about three months since everyone got together. Three months of me being by myself. But during those three months, i got to know Marella a little better, and i think I'm starting to grow feelings for her. But you know what happened?

SHE WENT WITH JENSI.

See?

Hopeless.

"What's wrong, Dex?" Sophie asked me, making me realize i had sighed out loud.

"What? Oh, nothing," i said quickly. I forced on a smile as i looked at all my friends, feeling like such a third wheel. Or is it seventh? You see, we're all gonna sneak out to the Forbidden Cities, just for the fun of it, ya know? And while they all tell me that it's a we're-only-friends-today thing, i just _know_ that one of these obnoxiously cute couples is gonna sneak away from the rest of us and go make out.

How wonderful.

"Hey, Foster," Keefe said to Sophie, apparently sticking to the whole friends-only thing. Ever since they started dating, he started calling her _Sophie_ or _Soph._ "What's the place we're going to called again?"

"Philadelphia," she answered. "It's in North America. U.S.A."

"Oh, cool," i said. "I'll get to see some more human technology." I gave Sophie a teasing smile and she glared in returned, but it quickly dissolved into a smile.

"Human's have some pretty smart tech, Dex," She told me. "I'm sure we could find some sort of AT&T shop to go to for you to look at some stuff."

"At&T?"

She shook her head dismissively. "Human thing. Nevermind." She stood and looked around at the others. "We should get going."

"And i expect you all back within the hour," Sandor said from the shadows. The bodyguards knew about our little escapade, and, after a _lot_ of convincing, they finally consented in letting us go.

"Aw, come on, Gigantor," Keefe whined. "Two hours."

"An hour and a half," Ro settled for them. "No later than that." She glared at each of us until we nodded. She nodded approvingly as Sandor grumbled about how his job was impossible these days. It was a little risky to go to the Forbidden Cities without our bodyguards, but the Neverseen had been mostly taken care of-that and the fact that it would be _super_ hard to disguise four gobins and an ogre princess. At least we actually went shopping for human clothes that actually looked good on us.

"Sophie's right," Fitz agreed, standing as well, along with Linh, who sat next to him. "We should get going before any of our parents find out about this." Everyone glanced towards the door, just to make sure that we were parent-free. Fitz took out the pathfinder he "borrowed" from his dad's office that went to the Forbidden Cities. We made our way outside and quietly snuck out to the gates. After they opened and we were on the other side, we created a chain and leaped away.

…

Alright. I had an hour to myself. And hour to explore the city. I mean, i did it all the time, and it was the best hour of my day. Life at home tended to be hectic, and this hour to myself was my escape from my life there. Out here in Phili, i was a different Hazel. I was City Hazel. The real me, without any home problems to keep me back.

I hopped on my bike and peddled down the streets to as close to the center of the city as i could. So many people, just going about their daily lives; some were tourists, others were walking their dogs. Some, like me, were riding around on their bikes. It was a clear, sunny autumn day, perfect weather, in my opinion. I had on a large black sweater and legging, along with some Uggs. Perfect outfit. Comfy and simple.

I steered my bike onto the sidewalk and got of, walking it to a bike rack and locking it in place. Then i turned around and smiled when i saw the famous restaurant known for its Phili cheesesteaks. They were delicious. I went inside, not surprised at how packed it was, but it was empty enough that there was room for me.

"Hey, Hazel," the waitress at the podium said when she saw me. "How ya doin', girl?" She was a pretty black girl who was a junior in college, working here part nearly everyday, and whenever i came, she would always serve me. We became great friends, and i always admired her for her pleasant personality and pretty looks.

"I'm good," i said, coming up to the podium as she grabbed a menu for me and led me to an empty booth. "What about you, Trix?" Her real name was Trixie. I sat down in the booth as she sighed.

"College is college," she told me, taking out her notepad from her black apron. But she smiled at me as she looked up. "But life is still good. At least i'm actually in college, so, yeah."

I returned her smile. "Always so positive." i shook my head teasingly.

"Well, how's school for you?" She asked as a three loud highschool boys were seated in a booth to my left. One glanced at me, and then he tapped his buddy's arm, which made that one look at me, and then the last one caught on and looked at me. I rolled my eyes.

"Oh, ya know, being a freshie isn't the funnest thing in the world," i said. She asked if i wanted my usual before adding, "it's gonna get easier."

"Thanks, Trix," i said.

"No prob," she smiled and took my menu before walking away.

"Don't forget the extra jalapenos!" i called after her. I heard her laugh and wave a hand dismissively. I shook my head again and laughed. Then i took out my phone and kept myself busy until the food came. Luckily for me, i always came around the time Trixie went on her break, so i never had to eat alone.

"You don't ever wanna do something better with the time you have on break," i asked, "rather than spending it with someone like me?"

"Someone like you?" she repeated. "Hazel, if by someone like you, you mean one of the prettiest girls this side of Pennsylvania, the funniest girls i've ever met, and someone who doesn't let personal things get in the way of her fun, then yes, of course Imma spend my break with you." My cheeks turned warm.

"Trix," i started, but she interrupted me.

"Ah ah ah," she held up a manicured finger. "Don't even think about giving me the old, 'But, Trix, I'm not that pretty at all.'" i frowned at her exaggerated mimick of my voice.

"My voice is not that high and you know it," i protested. "And i really am not that pretty."

"Girl, have you ever looked in a mirror?"

"Well, yeah . . ." I mean, everyone i've ever met always tells me how pretty i am, and it's not even like I'm trying! I had wavy reddish-brown hair, hazel-my parents think their _so_ funny-eyes, and light olive skin. Nothing special.

Trixie sighed and shook her head at me. "I don't know why i even try anymore." She stood and took my now empty plate and cup.

"Thanks, Trix," i said with a smile.

"Yeah, yeah. I'll be back with the check." And she walked off. I leaned back in my seat, and as i did, i saw those other boys keep glancing at me. Apparently, i was pretty enough for a _lot_ of boys to ask for my Snapchat or Instagram, or my phone number. I always say no, if it's someone i didn't know. If it was someone from school? Maybe.

"Here you go, Hon," Trixie said, handing me the check. I handed her twenty bucks.

"I gotta get outta here," i said, standing up. "Keep the change. Thanks, Trix." i held out my hand for a fist bump, but she pulled me in for a hug instead. I groaned.

"Oh, lighten up," she told me, smiling again. "Have a good day."

"Yeah, you too," i mumbled, and then i hurried out of there. I was unlocking my bike, when i heard a deep voice say from behind me, "Hey, what's your name?"

…

"Whoa, humans have really upped their game when it comes to cell phones," Sophie said as she gawked at the tech in the AT&T store. I brushed my hand over one of their pieces, my senses tingling when i felt the buzz of energy inside it.

"Samsung Galaxy S9?" Sophie thought aloud as she tapped on the screen. "Wow."

"Can i help you all with anything?" A large man with a burly beard asked me as he glanced at the rest of my friends. **(am i the only one who noticed that elves don't grow out their beards?)**

"Nah, i think we're okay," Keefe answered for me in perfect English. Yeah, we knew how to speak English fluently. We've been learning for a while, and it's really easy, actually.

"Okay," the man said. "But if you need anything, don't be afraid to ask."

"Thanks," i said, and he walked away. I glared at Keefe. He held his hands up in mock surrender.

"What if i actually wanted to ask him something?" i hissed.

"I knew you did, and if you started, you would never stop," Keefe countered. I rolled my eyes. The bell at the door of the store rang and in rushed Fitz and Linh, hand in hand. I just _knew_ someone was gonna sneak away. I internally gagged.

"Guys," Fitz said to us in English-we had a strict rule for this trip for speaking English only. It would help us blend in. He was panting for breath, and i couldn't help but wonder if it was because of the assumed make out session he had with Linh, or if it was because he ran back in here. I was hoping for the latter.

"There's this girl," he started, but Keefe interrupted.

"Fitz, you're not supposed to stay stuff like that in front of your girlfriend," he clicked his tongue. "Even if we are just friends today. Although, i have a feeling you two failed the challenge?" he raised a teasing eyebrow, which made Linh and Fitz turn pink.

"That's not the point!" Fitz said. "This girl, i think she's in trouble. We need to help her."

…

"Guys, seriously, leave me alone," I said as they somehow managed to back me into the alleyway between the restaurant and the AT&T shop next door.

"We just wanna have a little fun," the oldest, who was probably sixteen, told me as my back hit the wall.

"Yeah, well that ain't happening," i told him, my voice steady. "I suck the fun out of everything. So leave me alone." The boys shared a look with each other, but they didn't leave. The other two boys looked between fourteen and fifteen.

"Give us your number," the one in the middle said.

"No."

"Why?"

"Because i don't know any of you."

"Well, we could get to know each other a little better," the oldest said. Without warning, he grabbed my hand and yanked me towards him, making me crash into his chest. His hand grabbed my waist in a way that went way over my boundaries. And then something clicked.

I stomped on his toes as hard as humanly possible, making him howl in pain and release me. When one of the other boys tried grab me, i gave him my hardest uppercut, sending him flying backwards and into the wall. I spun around to see the last boy staring at me with wide eyes.

"You wanna turn?" i asked through gritted teeth as i shook out my fist. He shook his head vigorously and he rushed to help his buddies out. When i flinched towards them, they took off running. I kept my fists up for a few more seconds, glad that no one came to investigate. I relaxed and sat against the wall, letting out a sigh of relief.

"Hey, are you okay?" i heard a girl's voice ask from somewhere in the alleyway. I looked to my right to see seven teenagers around my age coming towards me.

Oh no.

…

She just . . . and then those guys . . . she took on three dudes by herself!

And she wasn't an elf! And she didn't have a Sucker Punch! I mean, did you see how hard she punched that guy?

Wow.

"Hey, are you okay?" Sophie asked after the girl relaxed a bit. She immediately went back to the defensive side. Sophie held out her hands. "Don't worry! We're not gonna hurt you!"

"Yeah, we were actually gonna see if you needed any help," Keefe added. "But, as we can all see, you definitely don't . . ."

The girl relaxed a bit, and she stared at us with her big, hazel eyes. She was actually really pretty, for a human-and i get how wrong that sounds, but it's true! She had wavy reddish-brown hair and soft-looking skin. She was really cute.

Gosh, what the heck was i thinking?! Don't go getting another hopeless crush, Dex. _Especially_ one for a human! Was i crazy? I was crazy. To have _feelings_ for a human i literally just met? Oh my goodness, what was happening to me?

…

The strawberry blond one was cute. The rest seemed to be taken. Not that i cared. This is a one time thing. I would most likely never meet these unusually good looking people ever again.

"Thanks, i'm okay," i mumbled, shaking out my fist again.

"You punched that guy so hard," the strawberry blond boy told me.

"You were seriously brave," a boy with dark hair teal eyes sai-wait, what the heck? Teal eyes?! What kind of human being had teal eyes?

"Those boys were being total jerks," the girl with teal eyes-okay, what the heck is going on here?-told me. "I would have done the same thing." By now, i was freaking out a little bit.

"Guys, we should get going," the girl standing next to the boy with teal eyes said quietly. His arm was wrapped around her protectively. The others nodded.

"We're glad you're okay," the blonde girl told me. "Stay safe." She nodded to her friends, and as quickly as they came, they left through the other end of the alleyway. I was _very_ confused as to what had just happened. How were they so good looking? And what was with those accents? Were they tourists?

My thoughts were interrupted when i turned around to go get my bike and ride home.

"Hey, wait," i heard a vaguely familiar voice call out behind me. I turned around to see the strawberry blond boy standing a few feet behind me, this time, alone. He looked down at his shoes-a pair of the nicest Nikes i have ever seen.

"Dude, nice shoes," i told him. He looked up.

"Huh? Oh, yeah, thanks." He mumbled. "I'm Dex, by the way."

I smiled. "Hazel." i held out my hand for a fist bump, and he took his hand out of his pocket to return it. I don't know why i was talking to him. I guess there wa just this feeling in me that he was actually a good guy. And i probably wasn't gonna see him ever again, so who cared?

"You're not from around here, are you?" i asked him. He shook his head. "How long are you staying?"

"I'm, uh, not _completely_ sure," he answered.

"Huh. Well, maybe i could show you around sometime," i suggested. "There's a whole lotta good stuff here in Phili. You got a phone?"

"No, not on me, at least."

I laughed. "What kind of normal human being walks around without their cell phone?" He smiled, and when he did, these two little perfect dimples showed up on his cheeks, making him look adorable. Hold on, why was i thinking about this? And wait. Did i just ask him out on a date? What the heck has gotten into me?

"Who said anything about me being human?" he teased.

I laughed again as i said, "Well, you definitely don't look human. I meant that as a good thing," i added quickly. Awkward silence.

"So, are you free tomorrow?" i asked after a while.

"Uh, yeah, i think so."

"Around one o'clock sound good?"

He nodded. "I guess I'll see you tomorrow, then." His smile made my heart pick up speed.

"Yeah, I'll see you tomorrow."

And we went our separate ways.

 **A/N) What a way to start us off, huh? Well, I hope you all enjoyed! Since the other chapters are already written, they should be coming up shortly. Thank you so much for reading! Please leave a review, and check out my other stories, too. You can see them on my profile. All you gotta do is click on the word Undecided13 next to the title of this story, and BOOM! you get to read my profile _and_ see the stories I've written! I'll leave you to think about that.**

 **Peace out, m'peeps.**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N) I'm posting the next part really quickly because it's already been written, so I won't waste your time by rambling. I hope you all review!**

Part two

I leapt back to Everglen with the others in a daze. Everyone was too distracted to pay attention to my strange behavior, anyway.

Did i just say yes to going out on a date with a _human?_

There was no way this could work. I mean, i would live so much longer than her, if some way things worked out. But . . . i could probably alter out bottles of Youth into an elixir that makes her live as long as us . . . What was i thinking? Was i crazy? This probably wasn't even a date! She was just being friendly, but . . . i don't think people who are just friendly look at each other the way she did. With her pretty green eyes. So much prettier than any shade of blue. Maybe even nicer than brown . . .

"Earth to Dex Dizznee? Yo, Technonerd?" i heard Keefe's voice say, snapping me out of my thoughts. I blinked, gripping my pocket with my hand and making sure the phone was still there.

Oh. Yeah. i maybe took one of the phones from the AT&T store? I know it was wrong, but still. I needed one to keep in touch with Hazel! I would give her the phone number tomorrow. I don't know what it is about her, but i think i might like her.

"What?" i asked, remembering the others.

"You okay?" Sophie asked.

I nodded and forced on a smile. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just glad we made it back in time so the bodyguards wouldn't clobber us." That seemed to lighten the mood enough so that everyone's attention was turned away from me.

"Hey, wanna have a tournament of Base Quest tomorrow?" i heard Fitz suggest. Everyone agreed, but i said, "i can't. I gotta get back home tomorrow and watch the triplets." i added an aggravated sigh to make the lie believable. You guys already know where I'm going tomorrow night. And i need most of the day to figure out how to work this phone. We entered Everglen, were interrogated by our bodyguards, and then ordered to go to sleep. Luck for us, the adults never found out about our little adventure. Now all i had to do was pull it off again tomorrow.

…

"I think . . . i have a date today?"

Trixie stared at me like i had two heads with three horns each. Then blinked. "Who are you and what have you done with my Hazel?"

I laughed. "Okay, so maybe it isn't a date, per se. It's just . . ." i sighed. "He's so cute and from what i could tell, he has a good sense of humor. He's only in Phili for a few more days, i think. He's not sure."

"Well, that smile on your face says something about him," she said with a knowing smile that made my cheeks warm up.

"Oh, shut up. I don't even know him."

"Which says even more about how special he is," she countered. "So, what are you gonna do?"

"Show him around, i guess." i shrugged. "Nothing special."

"And, you're gonna wear . . . that?"

I looked down at my dark hoodie and autumn themed leggings from where i sat in the booth. "What's wrong with this?"

"Well, you couldn't have at least worn nicer shoes?"

"I'm not putting on heels, if that's what your thinking." i crossed my arms and glared. "What i'm wearing is fine. I'm comfortable, and i don't look like a hobo."

"Well, at least you look cute," she commented, reaching across the table and flicking a strand of hair behind my shoulder.

"Thanks."

"What time does he get here?"

I rolled back my sleeve a bit and looked at my watch. "In about ten minutes . . . Oh, crap."

"What is it?"

"We didn't set up a place to meet!"

"That's not good. Well, where were you when you set up your plans?"

"The alley in between here and the AT&T store," i answered quietly.

"Aw, how romantic," she teased.

"Shut up. I was in trouble. He and his friends came to see if-"

"Wait, what kind of trouble?" She interrupted, her big brown eyes filling with concern.

"A bunch of guys were being jerks," i said, waving my hand dismissively. "But don't worry, i took care of it."

She sighed with relief. "That's my girl."

I smiled, then glanced down at my watch again. "I should head to the alley and see if he's there. If not, well . . . things might get interesting."

…

"Oh, good, you're here," i heard a familiar voice say. I looked up from my phone to see Hazel smiling slightly with a hand on her hip. She looked so cute. Gah, i can't think about that. I shouldn't even be here right now. "And you brought your phone this time," she noted.

I glanced down, turning off the device and placing it in my pocket. "Uh, yeah."

She giggled. "Is that all you have to say?"

"Um . . ."

"I'm teasing," she said, laughing again. She came closer and looked me up and down. "Nice shoes."

"They're the same ones as yesterday," i told her.

"And the ones from yesterday were nice too," she answered. "Come on. Let's get started on that tour."

…

Philadelphia was a lot nicer than i thought it would be, in its own human-y way. The air smelled horrible, but i got used to it eventually.

"And so, we come back to The Phili Fillers," she concluded as we walked back to the restaurant. "A strange name for a restaurant, i know. But it's easy to remember, and their food really does fill you up. Hungry?"

I shook my head. "Thanks, but i'm okay." i didn't want to go into a place surrounded by people that ate meat. Gross.

She shrugged. "Okay." She looked up at the sky, and the sun was slowly setting. "I should probably get going, anyway. Uh, how long are you staying in Phili?"

"Um," Think, Dex, think! "Probably another week or two."

"Really?" she raised her eyebrows. "That's a sudden change from what you last told me."

"Yeah, well, my grandma lives here and she's been taken to the hospital. We thought she would have been out by now, but the doctors found out their was something wrong with her that requires a surgery. And after that, she's gonna need help getting around. We're actually considering moving here." I could not believe that lie came out of me.

"Oh. I-I'm sorry. I . . . didn't know." She didn't seem to know what else to say.

"Don't worry," i told her quickly. "It's okay. I actually had a lot of fun today. So, maybe . . ."

"Maybe . . . ?" she asked when i didn't finish. The hopeful glint in her pretty green eyes was so adorable.

"Now that you've given me a tour, maybe we could pick a spot to meet and get to know each other better?"

She smiled. "I would like that. Are you busy tomorrow, or . . . ?"

"Um, i'm not sure."

"Here," she held out her hand. "Gimme your phone. We can exchange numbers." I took the strange human device out of my pocket, unlocked it, and handed it to her.

"Wow," she scrolled through it. "You have like, no contacts at all."

"Oh, uh, it's a new phone. Haven't had the chance yet, ya know?"

She nodded. After a few more seconds, she handed it back to me. "Okay. There you go. Now it's your turn." She gave me her phone after get it to the contact section. I had figured out most things about a phone by now, and they were actually pretty cool. You could do so much on one of these things. I gave her my contact info, and then handed it back to her. Thank goodness i new how to read in English, too. I felt like such a human doing all of this. But i think i liked it.

"Cool. I'll text you later," she told me. "Or you text me. I honestly don't care."

I nodded. "Okay." She unlocked her bike and got it facing a certain way before getting on it.

"Well, I'll see you around, i guess," she said as she tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear. "I hope your grandma gets better."

"Thanks," i said. "See ya." She nodded and smiled before peddling off into the street. And then i went home, and i couldn't get her out of my mind.

 **A/N) i know, i know. It wasn't as good as i wanted it to be, and it was so short. I'm sooooorrrrrryyyyyy. But please review and let me know what you all thought. Aside from how boring it was. But the next part should have lots of action . . . i hope. Oh well, we'll see! Until then . . .**

 **Peace out, m'peeps!**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N) i have returned with part three! There's gonna be some texting in this one, so words in italics are from Hazel, and words in bold are from Dex. And there's a pretty big time skip. Sorry :( Hope you all enjoy!**

Part 3

 _Yesterday was fun. Thx._

 _ **No problem. I mean, technically, u were the one who came up with the idea, so . . .**_

 _Yeah, but it wouldve been pointless if u werent there._

 _ **Hey, you know what tomorrow is?**_

 _?_

 _ **Wow. I'm hurt.**_

 _No no no! Wait! I know!_

 _ **Well?**_

 _It's our one-year anniversary, isnt it? For dating, i mean._

 _ **Yup. Glad u remembered.**_

 _Does this mean i finally get to meet ur parents?_

 _ **Uh . . . it's not a good time for them. I mean, they know about u, so theyre ok with it.**_

…

 _ **Hazel?**_

 _I'm gonna call you, okay?_

 _ **Ok.**_

I made sure the bathroom door was locked. I was at Havenfield with the rest of my friends when Hazel texted me, and i couldn't pass up an opportunity to talk to her. She . . . well, i . . .

Ugh, she's my girlfriend, okay?

I know, i know. She's a human, but . . . there's just something about her. I could still remember our first kiss.

It had been two weeks since we officially started calling our hang-outs _dates._ We were strolling around in Love Park-yes that's a real park, look it up-and it was pretty much a perfect day. Hazel slipped her soft hand into mine and i twined our fingers together. She started to gently swing them back and forth as we talked. We knew each other fairly well, by then. Well, i knew her. Almost everything i told her was a lie simply based on truth. It hurt me every time when i lid to her, so i got her to do most of the talking. I found out about how she was an only child with a drunkard of a mother and how her father had left her when she was only three. She found out when she was eight that he had died. She pulled most of the weight around the house, since her mother's alcoholic problem prevented her from getting a job. She didn't have any other family to turn to, and for years she wondered why. And then she found out she had been adopted. Apparently, her parents hadn't been nearly as bad of people as they now were when they adopted her, but that quickly changed after her dad left. Hazel told me that she was gonna move out as soon as she turned eighteen, which was only four years away. She would get a job when she was sixteen, and start saving up enough money to buy an apartment by the time of her eighteenth birthday.

Humans could be so horrible sometimes. I hated the fact that someone as sweet and amazing as Hazel had to live among them. Maybe . . .

"Dex?"

She brought me back from my plans. "Yeah?" i looked around at where we were, seeing the Love monument a few yards away.

"I don't really know how to say this," she began, which scared me. Was she breaking up with me already? Figures. She looked around quickly before she glanced back up at me, quickly placing a hand on my shoulder and standing on her toes, kissing my cheek. My eyes widened in surprise as she looked down and nervously bit her lower lip. Did she just . . . ? And was i about to . . . ? Before i could stop myself, i leaned down and cupped her face in my free hand, pressing my lips against hers. At first, i was a little scared that it might turn out a horribly as my first kiss with Sophie, or that she might pull away. But she actually wrapped her arm around my neck and kissed me deeper, my arm moving around her waist. It felt like it went on for much longer than it actually did, and this time, that was a good thing. Her lips were soft and plump and fit right into mine like they belonged there, and i was actually believing that they did.

And, as i look back at that memory, i still do.

My phone buzzed in my hand, and an adorable picture of Hazel showed up behind her phone number. I answered the call, holding the phone up to my ear.

"Hey, is everything okay?" i asked.

"Dex! You won't believe this!" She said over the phone excitedly, melting my worry away. "It changed! Babe, it changed!"

"What changed?" Can i just say that i love it when she calls me Babe?

"The law! In Philadelphia! I don't have to wait until i'm eighteen anymore to move out! All i need is to be at least sixteen with a stable job, and when Trix heard about it, she said that i could crash at her place-as long as i hold up my end of the rent, of course. I mean, we'd be splitting the bills as evenly as possible-and i could start saving money-and finally get an apartment for myself-and then you could come over whenever you wanted to! Now that it's summer break for school, i've got plenty of time to find a job before my sixteenth birthday-even though it's in like six months-but still!-"

"Whoa, whoa, Babe, calm down." See? I can call her that too. "You're talking so fast I'm surprised your lips haven't flown off yet."

I could practically hear the smirk in her voice. "Now now, we couldn't have that, now could we? Because if i didn't have lips, then what would you kiss every time you saw me?"

"Your forehead, cheeks, neck, hands-do you want me to keep going?"

"Oh, shut up, you damn know-it-all." She laughed, and the sound still made my heart melt a little even over the phone. "But, anyway, don't you see how amazing this is? I can finally get out of that horrible house and live with my best friend! And then when i get my own place, you can visit as much as you want! Isn't it awesome?"

"Yeah, it is. I'm so happy for you." Then an idea popped into my head. "You know what? We should celebrate. Same night as our anniversary, so we could double-celebrate. What do you say?"

"Of course! That would be awesome! Where should we-"

"Nope. It's a surprise. But wear something nice, if you want to, that is. Because you always look nice, ya know?"

She giggled. "Yeah yeah, sure. What'dya want, a dress?"

"I mean, if you want to . . ." i laughed when she sighed. "Fine, fine, wear whatever you want. I'll love it either way."

"Thanks, Babe," she told me. "So, did you wanna meet someplace, or . . . ?"

"Wait for me at the monument in Love park at, uh . . . 8:00 P.M. I'll take it from there," i told her.

"Okay. Got it. Listen, i gotta get going. Jobs can't apply for themselves!"

"That's my girl," i told her.

"Bye," she laughed. "Love you."

"Love you too. See you tomorrow." And then we hung up. I couldn't help but sigh. But in a good way. No way was i about to admit to sighing dreamily, for goodness' sake. But, she just always had a way of getting to me, ya know?

Someone knocked on the door.

"Dex?" Sophie's voice called, muffled. "Are you okay?"

I jumped to my feet. Opening the door, i said, "Oh, yeah, I'm okay. Thanks, Soph." I ruffled her blonde hair.

"Hey, cut it out!" She laughed. And that's how i went back to elf Dex instead of human Dex.

…

I fiddled with the skirt of my short-and simple-black dress. I had put on combat boots that had what i guess counted as heels. A silver watch was set around my wrist and earrings to match. Trixie had done something to my wavy red hair that made it look like i had a hairband of a braid and the rest of my hair falling down my back. The only thing i had managed to get out of was having Trix do my makeup. No way was i about to put that stuff on my face. Aside from lip gloss and mascara. Trixie said i looked amazing and that Dex would fall head over heels when he saw me. I wasn't too sure, but, like i told Trix, what do i know? I pulled out my phone from the pocket in the skirt of the dress.

7:59.

8:00.

I looked up at the monument, wondering what was the purpose of having a giant letters spelling out L-O-V-E in big red letters. I mean, i guess that's why it was called Love Park.

"Whoa," i heard a familiar voice breathe behind me. I felt my cheeks warm as i turned around and saw Dex, who looked as cute and handsome as ever, standing behind me, his periwinkle eyes trailing up and down my body.

"Yeah, i know. The top is a little more fitted than i would have liked," i said, looking down at the neckline that swooped down into a sweetheart shape. The top hugged my chest and back, but at least the skirt was looser. "Courtesy of Trixie," i added.

"Well, next time i see Trixie," Dex began, coming closer, "remind me to thank her. Although, the only reason this dress looks any good is because you're the one wearing it."

"Yuh huh, sure." i said, a smile tugging at my lips, which he had quickly pressed his against before saying, "It's true, ya know." I mumbled a half-hearted agreement as i pulled him back down towards me, kissing him again-much longer this time. In between kisses, i added, "I forgot to say: Happy Anniversary."

"That's right," he agreed, pulling bac completely. "I have something planned." i raised an eyebrow and was about to ask what it was, but he cut me off. "Nope. It's a surprise, remember?" He took something out of his pocket that looked like a piece of cloth.

"Are you going to blindfold me?" i asked, crossing my arms over my chest.

He laughed. "Don't you trust me?"

"Well, yeah, of course i do. But . . . Oh, fine," i said when he gave me puppy dog eyes. Just when i thought he couldn't get any cuter, goddamnit. He smiled and moved behind me, being careful as he covered my eyes with the black cloth and tied it securely behind my head. When he was finished, he brought his hands down to my shoulders, which sent tingles everywhere for some strange reason. It was probably because i couldn't see him. I felt his breath on my cheeks when he said, "you really are beautiful." I had only a general idea of where his lips were, yet, somehow, i managed to lock right onto them with ease, my fingers curling around his face and brushing through his hair as his hands moved down my arms. He always knew how to get me to . . . i dunno, do stuff? It was hard to explain.

I felt the warmth of his mouth leave mine as he pulled back. "Let's get going," i heard him say. He took my hand in his, and i just . . . well, i trusted him.

…

This could go one of two ways: Wonderfully, or horribly. I mean, i was technically bringing her into Lost City territory, and it was against the law to bring a human into the Lost Cities. But i wanted this to be special for her. So if anything happened, i would take all the blame. I managed to light leap her to Moonglade-and yes, i know how dangerous it was to light leap with a human, but i put on my old nexus and wrapped all my concentration around her, so she was safe. And i knew that no one else would be here. No one _ever_ comes here, unless you count the time that Sophie and i came to bottle starlight when we were kids. I wanted to come here because whenever it got dark in Phili, i could barely see any stars at all, so i wanted to give Hazel the chance to see them. I had a feeling she would really like them.

"Whoa, what was that?" she asked after we glittered onto the soft grass. I looked up, smiling when i saw the billions of stars visible in the midnight sky. It was a few hours later here than in Phili, another advantage to this secret relationship. Everyone else would be asleep by now.

"That's for me to know and for you to never find out," i teased, releasing her hand and moving behind her to undo the blindfold. When i leaned down, the sweet and cinnamon-like smell coming off of her filled my nose. It was probably my most favorite scent in the world. I carefully untied the blindfold and let it loosen before taking it away completely. "Keep your eyes closed," i reminded her.

"Oh, come on," she pouted, crossing her arms.

"I promise it's worth it." Something about the way i said it must have relaxed her a bit. I took her hand again and led her a few steps to the right before taking her shoulders and standing behind her again, the blindfold in my pocket. I reached underneath her chin and tilted her head up a bit before whispering, "Now you can open them." My hand slid down her neck and my arms wrapped around her from behind as i heard her gasp quietly. I brought my head down and pressed my lips against the skin of her neck, inhaling the sweet aroma as her hands went over mine.

"Dex," she breathed. "It's . . . oh my God, this is . . . no words. That's how amazing this is."

"You like it?" i mumbled against her skin.

"No. i love it. And you know what else?" She turned a bit to look at me as she brought her hand up around my neck. "I love you."

 **(I just cringed. Cheesy alert. Sorry, i just ruined the moment, didn't i?)**

"I love you, too," i told her quietly, turning her around the rest of the way and kissing her lips. She kissed me back and stood on her toes, making it deeper, and we were soon lost in each other, not noticing the flashes of light that appeared around us until it was too late.

Like i said, this could go one of two ways: Wonderfully, or horribly. And right now? It was horrible.

"Dex? Who is that?" Sophie was the first to ask. She was with, well . . . everyone. Had they been on to me?

"I, uh . . ."

"Babe, where did they come from?" Hazel asked, tightening her grip on my hands. The one time that i didn't like when she called me Babe.

" _Babe_?" Sophie asked incredulously. "Dex, who is she?" She was a bit more commanding this time.

"Alright, i can explain," i said, mostly to Sophie, but partially to Hazel as well.

"You'd better," Keefe interrupted. I shot him a glare.

Suddenly, Hazel released her grip on my hand and backed away from me. "Dex? Why can't i understand what you guys are saying?"

"It's gonna be okay," i told her in English. "I promise. Just . . . i need you to trust me."

She hesitated before nodding. I turned back to the others, noticing some of my family among my friends. Mom, Dad, Grady, Edaline. Luckily, though, not the triplets. I had no idea what to tell them. I mean, and elf dating a _human_? No way in the world that could work out! But . . . my parents were a bad match, so they should understand, right? And my friends-and Alden and Della, who were there as well-would get it too. Especially Sophie, who grew up around humans. I looked back at Hazel, confusion and slight fear filling the bright green eyes that i loved so much. I had to do this. For her. And if they didn't accept her, then they wouldn't accept me.

"This is Hazel," i said, reaching my hand out to her for her to take. After slight hesitation and a glance at the others, she took it, coming closer to me. Glad that she still trusted me, I wrapped a protective arm around her before adding, "And she's my girlfriend." Short gasps rang throughout the group.

"Why didn't you tell us?" my mom asked me. There was hurt in her eyes, as if i had betrayed her. Now you know how it feels, Mom.

"I've never seen her around Foxfire before," Keefe added.

"Yeah, she looks like she would be in our level, right?" Biana agreed.

"She . . . doesn't go to Foxfire," i said slowly.

"Was she banished?" Tam asked.

"Did she go to Exillium?" Linh jumped in.

"And, wait," Sophie said. She squinted, as if she was trying to get a closer look at Hazel. "Are her eyes . . . _green_?"

I nodded, which earned more gasps and a load of questions. But i didn't bother with them, because i soon said, "None of you know her."

"Actually, i think _we_ do," Fitz cut in, referring to our group of friends. "Isn't she the girl from . . ." his voice trailed off as he glanced at the adults present. "Uh, that city?" Nice save, man.

I couldn't stall any longer. "She's human."

Ever hear of blood-curdling screams? Well, this was what you would call blood-curdling _silence._ And their stares . . . boy, did they send shivers down my spine. Yikes. But, none of that mattered. All that i cared about right now was Hazel and keeping her with me.

Then, all at once, their voices erupted in to loud shouts of questions and demands for explanations, and i just stood there, taking it all and holding on to Hazel, whispering to the frightened girl that everything would be okay. And i hoped that it would be. I really, really did.

"Son," my dad's calmer voice cut over the others. "Having a human in the Lost Cities is illegal, as is an elf in the Forbidden Cities."

"Sophie was able to bring Amy, and now she visits her, too!" i argued.

"I think we're all missing the major point here," Keefe cut in. "Our little Dexie poo has a girlfriend!"

"Who's _human_ ," Biana added with an eyeroll when he didn't.

"Dex, what were you thinking?" Fitz asked.

"I was thinking about how much i actually love her," i responded, pulling her closer against me. "Why can't we just leave it alone?"

"Because she's human!" My dad said.

"Dex, humans are so different from us," my mother added in a gentler voice. "You know about their short life-spans. Her body will change and grow much older while you're still young. You contrast on so many different levels . . ."

"I already made an elixir for that," i told her quietly. When i heard a few gasps, i continued. "Yeah, i did. I figured out a way to make a human live like an elf. She would drink it every day like we do with our Youth, and there's another one i made that will help her be as smart as we are-compared to humans. But, she's already smart. And beautiful. She's not like other humans. She's . . . gah, can't you just trust my judgment on this one?"

No one answered, and i couldn't tell if that was a good thing, or a bad thing.

"Dex?" Hazel whispered, looking up at me with her big, beautiful eyes. "Please. What's going on?"

"I'll tell you in a second, i just . . ." i glanced up at Alden, an idea forming. "Alden, can you do what you did to Sophie human family and make Hazel understand the Enlightened Language? Things would be so much easier if she could," i added when he hesitated. Della was the one who convinced him to go.

"Who's he?" Hazel asked as Alden approached.

"A friend," i told her. "He's going to do something to help you understand a little better, okay?" She didn't say anything. "Please, Hazel, trust me."

"I've been doing that a lot, lately," she deadpanned. I gave her a half-smile.

"Please?"

…

"Okay," i sighed. "But you owe me. Big time."

He laughed, which showed his two perfect, adorable dimples, helping me relax a bit. "Okay, whatever you want."

I nodded, trying to remain serious, but whenever he smiled, it made me smile too. "Good." Then i glanced at the unusually handsome man walking towards me. He stopped a few feet away from me, glancing at Dex. Dex said something to him that i couldn't understand, and then the man looked at me again, nodding. Dex released me and turned me towards him.

"Okay, what he's gonna do might seem a little weird at first," he began, which did _not_ make me feel any better. "But, i promise, he's not gonna hurt you. His name is Alden. He's like a second father to me." That helped. A little. Not much. Especially when he reached up for my forehead. I tried to not flinch, remembering to trust Dex as the man's fingers pressed against my temples. I closed my eyes to try to calm my racing heart, to try to remain calm. I gripped Dex's hand, bracing for something awful to happen to me. But all i felt was a small click in my brain, and flooding warmth, making me feel all fuzzy and tingly inside. It was like . . . i had been incomplete before, and now i was. It was weird. _Really_ weird. But . . . i liked weird. Why else do you think i loved Dex so much?

"Hazel?" i heard Dex's voice ask. "Can you understand what i'm saying?"

I opened my eyes, the man's fingers off my temples as he-and everyone else, for that matter-stared at me. I turned around to Dex, a smirk on my face.

"Of course i can understand you, idiot. Why wouldn't I?"

His face relaxed and he smiled as he sighed, his hug surprising me as he said, "It worked!"

"What are you talking about?" Something about the words flowing out of my mouth-and his-felt weird. I pulled away from him and looked around at the others. "Are you gonna tell me what's going on . . . ?" My voice trailed off as i recognized a few of the faces. "Wait a minute."

"So, you are that girl, aren't you?" the blonde girl asked quietly. The blond boy beside her smirked.

"Yeah, the one who totally beat up those three jerks?" he added.

"Uh . . ."

"Not helping, guys," Dex said. Then he sighed. "We're too far in by now. We should just tell her. Everything."

"Or we could just do a memory wipe," the boy with the teal eyes suggested.

"Uh, why do i not like the sound of that?" i pointed out.

"No way are we doing a memory wipe!" Dex defended. "You can't just take away memories like the ones we made. It's not right."

"Aw, our little Dexie poo is in _love_ ," the blond boy teased.

"With. A. Human!" the girl with teal eyes added, glaring at me.

"Wait, what do you mean _human_?" i asked, looking back at Dex. "What is she talking about?"

"Guys, Dex is right," the blond girl said. "We should just . . . come clean."

"Are you being serious?" A boy with jagged, silver-tipped bangs asked her. A girl who looked like his twin stood beside him, staring at me in . . . fear? Awe?

The blond girl nodded. "I think . . . i think Dex really does like her. We should give them a chance. Come on, let's go back to Havenfield."

Dex let out a sigh of relief. "Thanks, Sophie," he told her.

"Don't thank me yet," she told him, coming up and taking his hand. As she offered me her other one, she added, "Because this might be the last time you see her."

 **A/N) Boy, was** _ **that**_ **long! Whew.** **Please leave me a review and let me know what you all think! Thank you! And, if you want, you can also follow and/or favorite my story. All you gotta do is click the Follow/Fav button at the top right corner of the page and click the checkbox on either author (me) or story, or both! But, you don't have to. Just . . . letting you know. Hehehe. Okay, then. Part four will be out soon, don't worry! So, with that being said . . .**

 **Peace out m'peeps!**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N) I have returned with the next part! And, I would just like to say thank you to Charlotte O. CATS KOTLC for your reviews and feedback! I really appreciate hearing from my readers! I hope the rest of you will review as well! I hope you enjoy this chapter.**

Part 4

"You've gotta be kidding me." I stared blankly at the so-called _elves_ sitting across the room from me. I had somehow made my way as far away from Dex as possible during their lengthy explanation, because Dex had been lying to me during our entire relationship. I looked at him like he was the complete and total stranger that i had learned him to be.

"I know it's a lot to take in," Dex started.

"Is your real name even Dex?" i interrupted, the hurt and confusion in my voice inevitable.

The question seemed to drop some hurt into his periwinkle eyes-the same periwinkle eyes i had fallen in love with all those months ago. A year ago, to be exact.

"Of course my real name is Dex. Dexter Alvin Dizznee, if you want the whole thing," he added.

"So, your grandma was never sick," i began. "You had never actually moved to Philadelphia. You aren't actually homeschooled. You don't actually have super annoying triplet siblings that make you leave suddenly because you have to take care of them-"

"Actually, _that_ one is true. Disappointingly," he grumbled. Then he stood, cautiously walking towards me but standing a careful few feet away. "Hazel, i know i lied, and i get that it was wrong."

"Yeah, it was."

"But, you have to understand. I can't exactly share this life with anyone."

I stood, closing the rest of the space between us and taking both of his hands and looking up at him. "But i'm not just _anyone._ Dex, this is me. You've known me-dated me-for a year today. It's our anniversary, remember," i added quiet enough that only he heard.

"I know. And this wasn't how i wanted it to end," he looked down at our hands. "But, i also know that i wouldn't be able to hide this from you forever. I was just waiting for the right opportunity."

"Dex," Kesler-Dex's father-stood as he said, "you know fully well that there is no _right_ opportunity to tell someone something like this. What on earth made you think to begin dating a human?"

"And why didn't you tell us?" Juline-Dex's mother-added.

"Because of reactions like this!" Dex told them, releasing my hands and turning to face them. "Don't think i don't notice the stares you all are giving her-giving us. Humans as a species may be . . . different. And i knew that you all would never be able to look past that. But Hazel-and so many other humans-has such a good nature." He turned back to me with a longing look in his eyes as he continued to talk to the others. "She's so much like us. She doesn't deserve to live the way she has. And yet, she doesn't complain. She just tries to get through as much as she can to make her life her _own._ And i wanted to be part of her life. Because, even if you all might never understand why . . . i love her. With everything i have. And there's nothing you can do to change that." And then he kissed me, neither of us caring that we were surrounded by several other people. If it was possible to fall in love with the same person all over again-even though it felt like he betrayed you-i just did. And it felt so amazing, and i realized that i did it every time i saw him.

I broke the kiss, looking up at him with wide eyes. "Even after everything that went down between elves and humans?"

"Everything that went down between elves and humans was the elves fault," he assured me, gently tucking a wisp of hair behind my ear and caressing my cheek. Leaning his forehead against mine, he added, "I just wish realizing that might have fixed things between them."

"Dex," Sophie said, coming towards us. "You know i have nothing against humans-"

"None of us do," Alden clarified.

"But, the Council will definitely be against having an elf date a human, especially because they have the whole Matchmaker scrolls," she added.

"I don't care," Dex told her. "If my parents can be a 'bad match,'" he put air quotes around the words, "then why can't i?"

"After everything that she's learned," Della jumped in quietly, "you would want to make sure that Hazel would still want to be apart of any of this." She seemed to choose her words carefully, but that did nothing for the realization and sadness that crept on Dex's face. He wouldn't look at me.

"That's right," he mumbled. Everyone turned to look at me, and i realized that all the weight of this situation had been suddenly dumped on me. I looked at Dex.

He had lied to me. Tricked me. Maybe even played around with my emotions-no. He wouldn't do that. But he was someone who i never thought he could be. He was an _elf._ A species that shouldn't exist. During my extensive history lesson, i learned that there were, in fact, like six other species in this world that humans didn't know about. That there were whole other _worlds_ beyond my horrible one with my mother. That there were things like Telepaths and telekinesis that actually existed. That someone could actually have the ability to disappear. That dinosaurs and unicorns and pegasi were real. That creatures that couldn't even begin to form in my imagination existed.

And that Dex had known about it all, and never told me. And yet . . .

I strode over to his side and wrapped my hands around his arm, holding onto him and leaning my head against it. "I wouldn't have cared if he was some sort of alien-cyborg thing from Mars. Dex is _my_ boyfriend, and i have no intention of breaking off our relationship any time soon."

Biana squealed. "Aw, you two are just so cute together!" Dex's grin was huge as he looked down at me and then wrapped me in a hug.

"After all, i would miss those adorable little dimples of yours too much if i did," i added quietly, smiling against his chest.

"I hate to ruin the moment," Alden said loudly, "but, remember, the Council found out about Amy when she was staying in the Lost Cities, so i have no doubt that they will find out about Hazel. And when they do . . ." He didn't finish the sentence, which made me cling to Dex all the more. I didn't want some stupid Council to separate us because of some stupid rule. I wanted to stay with him. I didn't care where it was. I just needed to be with him.

"Maybe . . . ," Dex began, slowly pulling back to look at me. "Maybe they'll give her a chance."

"That's a long-shot," Keefe told him. "Hey, don't look at me like that. Trust me, after being around her for awhile, the Redhead here has me all for Dazel."

"Redhead?" i asked, and at the same time Fitz snorted, all the while Dex asking, "Dazel?"

"Because of your hair, duh," Keefe told me. Turning to Fitz, he said, "Don't make fun of it." And to Dex, he added, "You're stuck with it, Technonerd."

I giggled. "Technonerd?"

"Yeah, being a Technopath isn't the awesomest ability out there," Dex said, rubbing the back of his neck.

"And it's fun to make fun of him because he thinks his ability-which actually is awesome-sucks," Keefe added.

"Well, i like it. Think of all the cool stuff you could do to my phone!" i told Dex, pulling out the device and unlocking the screen. "Maybe you could make it work without reception-ooh, and make the Internet run faster! That would be great. Maybe you could-"

"Whoa whoa whoa," Dex said, laughing. "Slow down. You might not even need your phone anymore."

"What do you mean?" i asked.

"I believe what Mr. Dizznee is trying to suggest is that you stay here, in the Lost Cities," a new voice said from the doorway. I turned around to see a wrinkled, bloated man standing at the living room entrance, a smell of feet lingering around him.

"Have you all forgotten of our meeting today?" The man added, taking a few heavy steps forward. "Hm, i guess you have. You're all lucky it's just me and not a member of the Council, otherwise," his eyes flicked to me and Dex, "you two would be in serious trouble."

 **A/N) Okay okay, yeah, i know. It was short. I'll try to come up with the next part soon. But, juggling three stories can be a hassle-although, this probably only counts as two, given the fact that I basically post what I put in my one-shot series, I just change the Author's Notes. But still, life tends to get in the way of everything. Y'all are lucky I love you so much! Nah, i'm kiiiiiiiiiiidding. I mean, obviously, I love all of you, but-oh, nevermind. Before I start rambling anymore, I might as well just end this . . .**

 **Peace out m'peeps!**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N) I am so sorry! I made a mistake I made a mistaaaaaaaaaaaaaake. Did any of you catch it? Maybe? Okay. So, I'm honestly not sure if I mentioned it like this in the previous chapters, but i tried to fix the one that i remembered. I said in the first part that Hazel has hazel eyes, but then somewhere in there i shifted to green? I think it was because i've been working on an original story, and one of the characters had red hair and green eyes. So, if you saw green eyes for Hazel and got confused, that is totally my fault! She's supposed to have hazel eyes, my bad. Also, i changed the part for when Keefe calls her Emerald to Redhead (yeah, i know, it's a sucky nickname. But that's Keefe's fault for lack of imagination). Anyway, again, I'm sorry about that mistake. But now you all know! She has hazel eyes. So, uh, yeah. Now that you know, I'll just let you get on with the story, hm? Okay.**

Part 5

"M-Mr. Forkle?" I mentally face-palmed myself, remembering the others talking about holding a meeting with him to talk about the latest security measures and memory breaks for the Neverseen. Yes, we had finally defeated them, so that also meant the Lost Cities were safe enough for Hazel to live, right?

"Wait," Hazel said, her beautiful **hazel** eyes darting around the room, and then landing on me. "You . . . you want me to live _here_?"

"I . . ." i looked around the room, not wanting to talk about it in front of the others, for some reason. So i took her hand and lead her out to the hallway, mumbling an "excuse us" to the others. When we were out of earshot, and Vanisher-free (yes, Biana tried to eavesdrop), Hazel leaned her back against the wall, looking up at me with a bit of confusion. I closed the rest of the space between us, neither of us minding how close we were to each other-which was our faces being mere inches apart. I leaned over her a bit, my hands resting on her shoulders, and i locked my eyes with her hazel ones.

"I know that it sounds like a lot and really weird," i said, my voice low and barely above a whisper. "And i don't expect you to make a decision now. I just figured that . . . once you finally saw _my_ world, you would want to leave yours and live like you've always wanted to. Away from your mom, and the jerky guys who still try to hit on you in Phili. You could live with me and my crazy family at Rimshire. I know you'll love it, and i think the triplets might like you too. And i'll make sure they don't prank you, otherwise, they'll have to deal with me."

…

There was a mischievous twinkle in his periwinkle eyes that had my heart racing-not to mention how close we were to each other, not that i minded.

"You could have practically anything you want if you lived here," he continued, leaning his forehead against mine. I could feel his breath warming my cheeks. "And you could live practically forever, if my elixir works-and I'm sure it does. And then . . ."

"And then," i said when he didn't finish, my voice quiet. I reached up with one hand, combing some of his hair behind his ear gently, while my other hand grabbed onto his, our fingers twining together. My thumb brushed across his cheek as i looked up at him tenderly. "I think I know what you want. I want it too. But . . . i can't just disappear. What would my mom do? What about school? And Trix?"

"We could figure something out," he promised. "I mean, think about Sophie. She grew up with humans, you know, and she decided to just have her family's minds erased. And i think Alden made the school believe that she transferred to a different one."

"I can't do that. I mean . . ."

He let out a quiet sigh. "You're worried about your mom, aren't you?" I wanted to say no, but, as much as i hated to admit it . . . I nodded against his forehead. "Do you want to-"

"No. I still plan on moving out when i turn sixteen. But i also planned on at least keeping an eye on her. But, if i live here, how am I supposed to do that? How would she live if she just forgot about me? And what about Trix? Are we gonna have to make her forget, too?" My voice caught on the last words, and Dex pulled me against him, wrapping his arms around me.

"I'm not going to make you do this," he whispered, his face buried in my hair. "But, now that you know how different our worlds are-"

...

"Dex, I don't think you understand," she interrupted me, pulling away so she could look up at me, her beautiful hazel eyes now a bit glassy. " _You're_ my world. Wherever you are, whatever's your world, that's mine too. So, if this place is your world, and if you're here, then it's my world."

If it was possible to fall in love with the same person all over again, then i just did. And i realize that i do it every time i see her.

"So, then, what are you saying?" i asked. "Aside from the fact that you're hopelessly in love with me?" I cracked a teasing smile, and she looked down to hide hers, a slight giggle escaping her lips.

"What I'm saying is," she told me, looking up again and standing on her toes, her lips brushing against mine as she spoke. "If your friends are as great as you're making them sound, then I'll move here. But we're waiting until I'm sixteen, so that i technically won't be breaking the law in Phili." She barely finished her sentence before i fully pressed my lips onto hers, making her step back and into the wall again.

"I love you so much," i mumbled against her lips.

She let out a slight moan before replying, "I love you, too." We would've stayed there much longer if it hadn't been for Biana's voice shouting to the others in the living room, "SHE'S STAYING! DAZEL IS OFFICIAAAAAAAAAAAAAL!" We scrambled apart, and i grumbled, "Vanishers." Hazel laughed, and the sound was contagious. She grabbed my hand and led me back to the living room. But my smile vanished when i remembered Forkle being there. Now that we knew Hazel was willing-no, _wanted_ to stay, how were we gonna make it possible?

Especially with the Council?

 **A/N) Sorry that was so short. Forgive me? Let me know in the reviews! Also . . . ISN'T DAZEL JUST ADORABLE? I mean, that's just my opinion, but still. Awwwwwww. It's like they were made for each other. And they technically were because I made Hazel. Our beloved Shannon Messenger made Dex and all the other KotLC characters. And I realized that, if one day Hazel and Dex get married and have kids, THEIR KIDS WILL BE HALF-ELF AND HALF-HUMAN! HOW COOL IS THAT? Although, the other elves' prejudice-ness might kick in and they'll not like them, but then, what if their kids had like the craziest and most awesome abilities ever? Or they made a new ability?! Whaaaaaaaaaaaa? Ideas are sparking. Well then, on that note . . .**

 **Peace out, m'peeps.**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N) I have returned with part 6! Heeeeeeelloooooooo my wonderful readers! I'd like to say thank you for the reviews I've gotten so far! So, thank you! I really appreciate hearing from you guys! And i'm glad you guys like the story! I hope it keeps going well . . . And, also, my story has reached over 200 views! Yay! Thank you guys so much!**

 **Also, there's gonna be a song playing in this part, and I'm putting up a disclaimer and giving all the credit to Ed Sheeran for his song "Perfect." I think i did that right . . .**

 **So, without further adieu, part six!**

Part 6

"Miss Hazel, I don't believe you understand the weight of the situation you and Mr. Dizznee are in," Mr. Forkle told us.

I shook my head. "I understand it perfectly. All i basically do is run away from home and move into the Lost Cities-where a bunch of elves live and where humans are technically forbidden-and risk having these Council people find out about me being here and being in a relationship with Dex"-I smiled at my boyfriend as i said that-"and, what was it, banish us? Either that, or live the rest of our lives labeled as a bad match and live in scorn. Did i miss anything?" I added a bit smugly.

Mr. Forkle let out a sigh that seemed to shake his entire body and ran a hand over his face. "You kids can do such crazy things when love's involved."

Keefe snickered. "I'm pretty sure we're crazy _all_ the time."

"Well, then, I fit right in," I agreed.

"That's for sure," Dex mumbled, but he was smiling.

"I mean, my craziness is one of the things this guy loves most about me," i added. Then, turning back to Mr. Forkle, i continued, "But, i get it. I'm a human. And humans aren't necessarily that great compared to elves." I held up my hand to stop Dex from protesting. "It's true. I can already tell. And, yeah, humans are pretty awful-trust me, I've lived with them for almost sixteen years. Things can get really bad sometimes. And i can already tell how amazing Dex's life here must be. I mean, he has awesome friends, and a family that seems wonderful"-I smiled at his parents-"and I'm smart enough to see that I obviously don't belong here. And that's not just because of everything you guys have told me about the history between elves and humans. As much as i want to live here with all of you, I don't want to put any of you in jeopardy-especially you." I lifted my hand to Dex's face, tracing my fingers down his cheek gently.

"You just said that you would stay," Dex reminded me, grabbing my hand and twining my fingers with his.

"That was because i was lost in the moment," I teased. "But still, I . . ." I couldn't finish the sentence. Not yet.

No one seemed to know what to do. Until Forkle said, "This is something that requires time to think about." The others seemed surprised.

"So, you really think there's a chance this could work?" Biana asked, beating me to the question.

"I . . . don't know what to think," he answered, eyeing Dex and I as if we were holding some glorious secret to the universe. Then, focusing mostly on Dex, he asked, "Is there any way you could bring her back tomorrow?"

"Actually," i jumped in, glancing at Dex, "I told my mom that i would be sleeping over at Trixie's tonight. And, i was going to, as soon as we were finished with whatever you were planning tonight, so that i didn't bother my her if i got home super late."

"Wait," Sophie said, drawing our attention to her, "was tonight something special, or . . . ?" She looked at my dress.

"Oh, uh," i felt my cheeks flush, and I saw Dex's do the same.

Biana gasped excitedly. "Was today some sort of anniversary?" She squealed when i gave a short nod. "How long? How long?" I left that answer up to Dex. I didn't want to get him in trouble with his parents.

But he sat up a little straighter, saying a bit proudly as he squeezed my hand, "a year."

Several congratulations were said, even from his parents.

"But, um, as i was saying," I continued after i thanked them. "I could always cancel on Trix and stay a night here." I was a bit unsure, and then i realized had basically just invited myself into their homes. I was about to apologize and take it back, when Juline told me, "I think that's a wonderful idea. I would actually like to get to know you a bit better, if you don't mind." I was kinda surprised, but i nodded and smiled.

"I . . . I would like that too."

"SLEEPOVER AT EVERGLEN!" Biana shouted. Then everyone started talking at once, some of the adults trying to calm the younger ones down, and Mr. Forkle seeming to try and grasp the weight of the situation. But Dex leaned over and whispered to me, "I really hope this works."

I looked into his bright periwinkle eyes before whispering, "Me too."

…

"I'm really glad everyone let us come back and finish what we started," Hazel told me softly as we gazed up at the starry sky. I scooted closer to her on the blanket.

"Me too. To be honest, they took all of this way better than i thought they would," I said, turning to face her as i sat with my legs in a criss-cross position. Both of us had kicked of four shoes, and they were on the grass next to us.

"I still can't believe you're an _elf_ ," she said, giving me a teasing glance. "I mean, wow. Now i can't get the image of you in tights and bell-toed boots out of my mind." She giggled. "No wonder you seemed so surprised when you saw the elves during Christmas time." She laughed again. It was my favorite sound, and i was glad that we got to spend some time alone before we were smothered by prying friends and family. Trust me, I've seen the way things were for my other friends who were couples. Yikes. Plus, now, all that work I put in for tonight would actually be put to use.

We sat there in comfortable silence, Hazel gazing up at the sky as i couldn't help but look at her. She was just so beautiful, especially with the way the moonlight hit her. I reached over and took her hand, gently tangling her fingers with mine. She glanced down at our hands and then looked up at me and smiled. Her smile was so pretty. Everything about her was amazing. I didn't want to lose her. So if for some reason things didn't work out here in the Lost Cities, i would move back to the Forbidden Cities with her in a heartbeat. Maybe even to one of the Neutral Territories.

She scooted a bit closer, leaning her head against my shoulder. Then, in a quiet voice, she asked, "What if we can't make it work?"

"Then we'll figure a different way out," I told her, leaning my head on hers.

She let out a quiet breath, the fireflies around us flickering without a care in the world. "I know, but . . . There's gotta be . . . oh, nevermind." She sighed in slight frustration and sat up straight.

"Hey, what's wrong?" I asked as she pulled her hand away and hugged herself. But she shook her head.

"It's nothing."

"It's something," i corrected. Then, in a gentler voice, i added, "Hazel? You can trust me. I know that finding out about all this might make it seem like it's harder to now, but-"

...

"No, i-it's not that," I interrupted. Sighing again, i tried not to look up at him. "It's just, don't _you_ think that i shouldn't stay? I mean, I'd basically be barging in on your life and putting you and everyone you love in danger with those Council people. I don't want to do that." I finally glanced up at him, my vision turning a bit blurry.

"Hey," he said softly, shifting as he wrapped his arms around me in a hug. I sank into him. "It's gonna be fine. I don't care if the Council finds out. And if they kick you out, I'm coming with you." He pulled back slightly to look down at me again. "You know that, don't you?" I dipped my chin in a slight nod. "Then where is all this coming from?" He reached up to my face and tuck a wisp of hair behind my ear. My skin tingled wherever he touched, and the intensity in his periwinkle eyes made me catch my breath.

"I'm just . . . trying to be careful," I told him, once I found my voice again. "It feels wrong. You know that there's no way i could _ever_ belong here. Every elf I've seen is practically a model! They're all so pretty and perfect and rich and . . . and compared to them, i look like a mess! I'm just . . . me."

He nodded, which surprised me. But it shouldn't have. It was true. "You're right. You are just you. You're Hazel Compton. The most beautiful, hilarious, smartest, most amazing girl that I've ever met-whether that's human or elf. You're the girl that I fell in love with a year ago today, and the girl that i still love, and always will. And you know what? Every single day that I'm around you, or hear your voice, or even just _think_ about you, I always find another reason to love you even more. So, yeah. You're _you_. And I'm okay with that. Better than okay, actually." He reached up and cupped my face with his hands, pressing his forehead against mine. I could barely remember how to breathe after he had said those words. The tip of his nose brushed against mine as he whispered, "Why else do you think I love _you_?"

"Because someone told you to?" I guessed. "Otherwise they would have to-" his laugh cut me off.

"Wow, you are a _serious_ doubter, aren't you?" he teased, pulling back a bit, even though i didn't want him to.

"Well, yeah, i mean," I straightened up and tossed a lock of hair over my shoulder. "I'm gonna need some good, solid proof before i can believe anything i hear."

"I've given you plenty of proof."

"Uh huh. And yet, here we are." I looked up at the sky with a teasing smile plastered on my face.

"Yup, here we are," I heard him add with a softer voice. Something was hidden in it that i couldn't quite place, but it made my heart beat faster. When I looked back at him, I saw that he had taken out his phone, the light from the screen lighting up his cute little handsome face. Before I could ask what he was doing, he had already stood up, still doing something on his phone. And then . . .

 _I found a love for me_

 _Darling just dive right in_

 _And follow my lead_

My heart skipped as I heard my favorite song play clearly in the night air from . . . i had no idea where. It couldn't be Dex's phone, because it was right there. It seemed to be coming from all around us. Did he use his technopathic powers for this or something?

All of my questions and thoughts faded away as I watched my wonderful boyfriend grin sheepishly and hold out his hand to me.

"I know how much you like this song," he told me as I took his hand. "And I remember how many times you made me dance with you to other ones. But we haven't dance in a while, and we've never danced to this song, so . . ." He pulled me up, and in one swift motion, he had me up against him, both of us now standing on the cool grass, his arms wrapped around my waist and mine had moved up and around his neck.

' _Cause we were just kids when we fell in love_

 _Not knowing what it was_

 _I will not give you up this time_

We had danced before, and every time, we seemed to get better. We both knew where the other was going, and we just kinda . . . _feel_ whenever we dance. So we started simple, just swaying to the music, not needing anything fancy. I gazed up at him, completely surprised. I hadn't expected this tonight, that was for sure. But I was glad we were doing it. And, as if on cue, I kissed him as tenderly and passionately as i could.

 _But darling, just kiss me slow, your heart is all I own_

 _And in your eyes you're holding mine_

I pulled back, and he leaned down, burying his face in the crook of my neck, and i leaned up slightly to do the same. The smell of his cologne tickled my nose, and for some reason it made me sink into him a bit more. The feeling of his breath on my skin sent tingles all over me, and we continued to dance, just like that, content where we were.

 _Baby, I'm dancing in the dark with you between my arms_

 _Barefoot on the grass, listening to our favorite song_

 _When you said you looked a mess, I whispered underneath my breath_

 _But you heard it, Darling, you look perfect tonight._

"I forgot to say that," Dex whispered. "But it's true. You do look perfect. You are. Whether your wearing a dress and heels, or a hoodie and boots"-he straightened up to look at me, and the look in his eyes made my heart beat faster-"you look perfect. All day. Every day."

I seemed to have lost my voice at that point. But he didn't seem to mind. He simply leaned his forehead against mine as the song went on.

…

 _We are still kids but we're so in love_

 _Fighting against all odds_

 _I know we'll be alright this time_

 _Darling, just hold my hand_

 _Be my girl, I'll be your man_

 _I see my future in your eyes_

Sometimes it amazed me how much this song could remind me of me and Hazel. Not just the fact that she was absolutely amazing and perfect and spectacular, but also because, well, I was and elf, and she was a human. All odds are against us being together, but we still fight for it, even now that she knows everything that could go wrong, and everything about the past with the elves and the humans. But as long as I'm with her, I know everything will be alright. We'll be alright. Nothing made me feel better than just being there with her at Moonglade, with her in my arms, our faces so close to each other, and just feeling her presence there with me. Her arms wrapped around my neck as we danced, the scent of her coconut and strawberry perfume filling my nose, that kiss that she had just given me. It was better than i ever thought it could be.

And it was just _us_.

 _Baby, I'm dancing in the dark with you between my arms_

 _Barefoot on the grass, listening to our favorite song_

 _When i saw you in that dress, looking so beautiful_

 _I don't deserve this, darling, you look perfect tonight_

Who knew an elf could love a human so much?

I _had_ to make this work. Because now? I couldn't see myself without her. When the song eventually ended, an instrumental of it continued to play, so now if Hazel wanted to stay the way we were as much as I did, we could.

And we did.

We danced the night away, but not in the way that you would expect. It was simple. Nothing fancy. We just wanted to be wrapped up in each other right now. I loved the feeling of her hands in my hair whenever we decided to kiss-which, most of the time was spontaneous. And it usually lasted a while. My arms wrapped around her waist and sometimes my hands would trace to her hips, but the thing that stayed the most constant was the feeling that we could stay like this forever.

And i wanted to.

I could tell she wanted to.

I just hoped that, somehow, we could.

 **A/N) Okay, that was too much cute, even for myself-and I'm the one writing this! I get that there was barely any action and problem solving in this one, and it was mostly just romance and and all that. I wanted to say that it almost seems like a filler, but, to be honest, it's not. I mean, this** _ **is**_ **a story about Hazel and Dex, so there's gotta be at least one part where it's full of just them and their romance. And, speaking of which . . .**

 **Did any of you notice how much the song "Perfect" by Ed Sheeran matched them and this scene? It was soooooooo cute! I mean, okay, first you have the most obvious "dancing in the dark with you between my arms" because their outside under the starry night sky and Dex is dancing with Hazel between his arms, right? And then you have "barefoot on the grass, listening to our favorite song." Anyone else catch how Dex mentioned their shoes being off their feet and on the grass next to them, and then when Dex pulled her up to dance, he led her onto the grass? And this was Hazel's favorite song? And that part where she said, "Compared to them, I look like a mess!"**

 **Ahem.**

" **When you said you looked a mess, i whispered underneath my breath . . ." And you guys get the rest.**

 **SEE? I PLAN THIS STUFF OUT. FOR YOU GUYS. TO MAKE IT AS CUTE AND ROMANTIC AND ADORABLE AS I CAN HANDLE. Because, to be honest, I'm not that much of a romantic person-which seems surprising, i know** , **considering the fact that I have a collection of one-shots full of romance and adorableness** _ **and**_ **I'm writing this story. The most surprising complement i have ever received (from a review): You write really good romance.**

 **Whoa.**

 **Never in my life did i ever think i would hear those words said to me.**

 **I love my readers. Y'all are the best!**

 **Sorry this part took so long to get out, btw. But, if you guys are tired of looking every day on the website to see if i posted anything, you don't have to! All you've gotta do is Follow or Favorite my story, and you should get an alert for whenever I post the next part! I think that's only if you follow it, though. Favoriting just lets me know how much you guys adore my story! If you guys adore it at all . . . Let me know in the reveiws!**

 **Thank you all so much for reading! Love you all!**

 **Peace out, m'peeps!**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N) Hello, my wonderful readers! I have returned with the next part! To be honest, I didn't think this story would go on for so long, but inspiration just keeps on coming. Also, I'm glad all of you liked the last chapter just as much as I did! And, thank you to FlowerGirl15 and Keeper Island for reviewing!**

 **Keeper Island: did that count as a shoutout? If not . . .**

 **SHOUT OUT TO KEEPER ISLAND!**

 **Sorry, they asked me to. XD**

 **FlowerGirl15: Lol, thank you! I'm so glad you like it! I actually had to look up what OTP stood for, but once I did-aww that's so nice of you!**

 **Anyway, you guys probably want me to stop talking and get on with the story, don't you?**

 **Then, in that case, without further adieu, part seven!**

Part 7

I woke up the next day buried in like, three blankets. And, boy were they _soft_. Like, seriously, it felt like i was in a cloud. But, where was I? Wait, was I in heaven?

DID I DIE?

Before i could panic, I heard a slightly familiar voice say from across the room, "Good morning, Hazel."

I sat up quickly-and immediately regretted it when i felt the blood rush to my head. I looked around to see a familiar amber-color haired woman standing at the doorway of the enormous room I had apparently slept in. The memories hit me splash of cold water: Last night with Dex, the discovery of the elves and all those other intelligent species, the fact that the humans weren't one of them. And that I had decided to stay here in the Lost Cities, all the complications that came with a human and an elf being together.

"I have a few things for you," Dex's mother Juline said from where she stood. "May I come in."

"Oh! Yes, of course!" I told her, fumbling with the blankets and pulling them off me. I scooted to the edge of the huge bed, running a hand over my eyes in an attempt to wake me up more. Juline entered, the woman looking as beautiful as I remembered. She had such a kind smile on her face, and beautiful turquoise eyes. In her hands, she held a tray of several vials with different colored liquids inside, and hooked over her arm was what I assumed a tunic and leggings.

"These are some of the elixirs Dex made for you, to help you with your life span," she explained as she set the tray on a small table next to the bed. "And, yes, we know that you're officially moving here when you turn sixteen, but we wanted to make sure the elixirs worked." She held up her arm, gesturing to the clothes as she added, "These belong to Biana. She insisted that you wear these today." She laughed to herself and shook her head. "That girl certainly loves fashion."

"She does?" The words held a bit of dread as I watched Juline shake out the tunic, which was gold, white, sparkly, and looked really _tight_. Great. Even the leggings were gold!

"To be honest, though, I think she was right: this would look very nice on you." I blushed at the compliment.

"Thanks," I mumbled, standing.

"Dex talked about you all last night," she continued, leading me to the ginormous closet to get changed. I was surprised to find myself already wearing one of the softest nightgowns in the world. When did that happen? Handing me the clothes, she walked back to the elixirs, but talked loud enough for me to hear. "He and Kesler were testing out the elixirs and making them as best they could for you. I was with them just to hear all the stories Dex had about you. He loves you a lot, dear. I can tell. His eyes always light up whenever he talks about you, and he just can't seem to get that dimpled smile of his of his face."

I tugged the tunic down my body after pulling on the leggings. I smiled to myself as she continued. "I never would have thought that he would find love so strong at his age. Let alone with a . . ."

"A human?" I finished for her as I walked out of the closet. She looked away, nodding slightly before quickly adding, "But, I didn't mean it in a bad way! I just-"

"No, no, it's fine. I understood what you meant," i assured her. She looked back at me, and then gasped.

"Oh my, Hazel, you look beautiful!"

I glanced down at myself. "You think so?"

She nodded. "Wait until Dex sees you in elvin clothes!"

…

"Why are they taking so long?"

"Dex, that's the seventh time you've asked that," Biana told me with a laugh. "Your mom's probably just getting her ready and giving her those elixirs."

"I guess."

Keefe stood up from his seat next to Sophie and plopped down next to me, wrapping an arm around my shoulders and wiggling his eyebrows. "So, why don't you tell us about your little _girlfriend_ , Technonerd?"

I pushed his arm off of me as the others agreed. My cheeks warmed up just by thinking about her.

"Or maybe you could tell us what you did last night?" Keefe added, me not liking the smile on his smug face.

"That's between me and Hazel," I told them. "But . . . I mean, I guess I could tell you more about her. Though, it'd be easier if you got to know her yourself."

"She's probably not gonna be down here for another ten minutes," Sophie pointed out.

"Yeah, and after that lecture from Forkle about how necessary discreetness is when it comes to Hazel living in the Lost Cities eventually," Fitz jumped in, "I think I speak for all of us when I say-"

"BRING ON THE GOOD STUFF!" Keefe interrupted, pumping a fist in the air.

I rolled my eyes. "Go back to your own girlfriend, will you?" I practically shoved him off the couch. He pouted and went back to Sophie.

"Technonerd's a meanie," he told her, leaning his head on her shoulder and crossing his arms.

Sophie laughed. "You're ridiculous."

"But you love me for it," he told her, lifting his head up and kissing her cheek.

"Ugh, do that when you two are alone," Tam said from where he sat in the shadowiest corner. Biana was right there with him, which was, in its own way, sweet.

"Aw, come on, Bangs Boy. You can do it with your girl, too. We don't mind." Keefe rested his head on Sophie's shoulder again.

"Uh, actually, I do!" Fitz said from where he sat next to Linh, crossing his arms.

"Now you know what I have to deal with whenever I catch you and Linh-" Biana started to say, but Linh stood abruptly.

"Uh, we don't have to say anything about that," she said, her cheeks flushing.

"Making out," Biana finished quietly. Keefe cracked up, and I couldn't help but laugh, too. Before we knew it, we were all laughing, for reasons unknown. I think we all just needed something like this to brighten things up a bit, you know?

"Yeah, okay, Imma leave before the crazy spreads to me," I heard Hazel's voice say, which immediately calmed down the laughter.

"But the crazy is irresistable, Redhead," Keefe informed her, which made her roll her eyes. But she was smiling, and a little motion like that made the entire room brighten. But then I saw what she was wearing, and . . . wow. I never thought I would ever see her in elvin clothes, and despite the fact that she could look good in anything, seeing her wearing this? It just made everything more real.

And, sometimes, real was good.

But is was . . . _complicated_. **(Haha,** _ **Flashback**_ **quote! Not exact, though. But you guys know what I'm talking about)**

When she saw me, her eyes seemed to light up, and that made me feel more special than I wanted to admit. She crossed over to where I was and plopped down beside me, crossing her legs and saying, "Morning, babe."

"Aw, she called him _babe_ ," Keefe teased. He looked at Sophie. "Why don't you call me that?"

"I didn't think elves did that." Sophie shrugged. But with a teasing smile, she leaned closer and whispered, "Babe."

Keefe smiled, kissing her again. I groaned and told Hazel, "I've had to deal with this for over a year. With all six of them!" Hazel laughed.

"You poor soul."

"You'd better believe it," I agreed. The others starting talking amongst themselves, and i felt Hazel scoot closer.

"But, you know," she said, her voice quiet enough so that only I could hear, "You can do it now, too." I looked at her, and my heart picked up speed when I saw the look in her beautiful hazel eyes. And then I realized how close we were. And, despite how many times I had kissed her, I loved how she always managed to make my heart want to explode, and how her eyes made me forget everything around us, and-

"Are they gonna kiss?-ARE THEY HAVING A MOMENT?" Biana squealed.

"Well, not anymore," Linh told her as Hazel and I quickly looked away at anything else in the room. But I loved the fact that we both glanced back at the same time. Apparently, so did Biana.

"THAT'S SO CUTE!"

"Shut up," I mumbled, crossing my arms and sinking back against the cushions to hide my blush.

"Yeah, why are we the center of attention?" Hazel added, coming to my rescue and copying my position, though, she probably didn't mean to.

"Because, believe it or not, you two might be changing history," my mom said from where she stood at the entrance way. Hazel sat up straighter.

"Wait, what?"

"She's right, you know." Alden's voice filled the room as he, my dad, and Della entered the large living room. Mr. Forkle was with them, as well.

"What are you guys talking about?" I asked, becoming interested and sitting up.

"Well, it's pretty obvious," Forkle said. "And elf and a human forming a relationship such as yours," he referred to me and Hazel, "is much different than the relationship Miss Foster has with her sister."

"Obviously," Keefe muttered.

Mr. Forkle ignored him. "And, while Miss Compton has decided to wait until she turns sixteen to officially move to the Lost Cities, the relationship between her and Mr. Dizznee still exists either way. And that . . . that is something our world has never seen. Something we never even thought about before, I'm sure. And to think that you and your father have perfected elixirs to allow a human to live the same life as an elf is . . . unfathomable. Incredible, even."

"That is, if they work," I reminded him.

"I'm sure they will," Hazel told me. Looking back at Forkle, she asked, "Does this mean that you think our relationship-if the Council takes it well, that is-could maybe fix the tension between elves and humans?"

Mr. Forkle looked back at Alden, who spoke next. "I think . . . it's a possibility."

"As do I," Mr. Forkle agreed. "But only if all goes well."

"I'm pretty sure hiding it from the Council isn't a good start to that," Fitz pointed out.

"It very well might not be, but i wouldn't want to get them involved until after Miss Compton has moved to the Lost Cities. Permanently."

"When is that, by the way?" Sophie asked. "I mean, I know that you'll be here when you turn sixteen, but when's your birthday?"

"That's right," Biana jumped in. "I forgot humans counted by their birthdays instead of their Inception date."

"Why count by the Inception date rather than birthdays?" Hazel asked?

"We see the Inception date as when the baby's life begins," Della explained. "And their birthday is simply when they come into the world."

Hazel was quiet for a moment before nodding slowly and chewing on her lip-something she always did whenever she was thinking. It was adorable. "Okay, but, if that's the case, then wouldn't the birthday still be worth celebrating, too?"

"I suppose it would be," Della agreed. "But, elves live for so long, that we don't pay too much attention to keeping track of our age after a while. Let alone celebrate when we came into the world."

"That's . . . weird."

I laughed. She didn't hold anything back. "It may be to you, but around here, it's normal."

"Don't worry, Hazel," Sophie said. "You aren't alone on all the getting-used-to-elvin-traditions thing."

Hazel let out a breath. "Thank goodness."

"So, when's the big moving day?" Keefe asked, getting back on track.

"Well, uh, let's see. My birthday's on-"

"April 27," I finished for her, adoring the shy smile she gave me as she nodded.

"So, if today's October 17, i should be here in about," she paused, biting her lip again before stating, "seven months?"

"Seven months?" Tam repeated.

"That's so long," Biana complained. I agreed.

"But, at least you can visit," I told Hazel. I looked up at the adults. "Right?"

They all shared a look before Mr. Forkle nodded. "But you need to be careful. And I would advise not taking her to any of the cities. Only Everglen, Rimeshire, and Havenfield. Yes, your parents know about Miss Compton," he added to Sophie.

They continued to set out the rules. I was to keep my phone hidden from any other elves, other than our immediate group, so I could stay in touch with Hazel-which I was very happy about. Hazel was sworn to secrecy (obviously) and we did the same for her. There was some discussion about what to do if the Council found out before we wanted them to, and also some talk about when we would let them know. Hazel was asked about when she wanted the official moving date to be, and she chose the thirtieth of April instead of the twenty-seventh, because Trix wanted to do something special with her that weekend. We all came to the conclusion that she would stay at a Black Swan hideout, rather than at Rimeshire, but it wouldn't be for too long. Just until things settled down a bit. It was a lot, and there would definitely be plenty more conversations.

But it was a start.

A _real_ start.

One that I hoped would have a happy ending.

 **A/N) Me too, Dexie, me too. Well, what did you all think? Sorry I made you all wait so long for the next part, and I know it didn't have that much Dazel in it, but at least some more problems were solved. Yay! I think this story might last for ten or twelve parts (so 3 or 5 more), and then it'll be finished. *cries* I know, I know. I'm sad too. But the end isn't here yet! So we can still be happy!**

 **Don't forget to review, please! I love hearing from you all!**

 **Peace out, m'peeps!**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N) Hello my wonderful readers! I have returned with the next part! And, be prepared for a major time skip . . . hehe . . . sorryyyy. But we've gotta keep this story going without dragging things along! So, I honestly have no idea what else to say because I am currently watching Captain America: Civil War for like the third time while writing this, so . . . yeah.**

 **So, without further adieu, the next pa-OH MY GOD THIS IS THE PART WHERE HE DIES!-I mean, uh . . . sorry. This is what happens when I watch a movie . . . ooh, I want chocolate-AH HE'S DROWNING!**

Part 8

April 30th couldn't have taken longer to get here. But it couldn't have gotten here any quicker either. Before I knew it, I had reached the point where I had to give Trix a slight idea of what was going on.

"Girl, you're _sixteen_!" She said excitedly as she led me around the mall. "Now you can move into my place and away from that drunk mama of yours!"

I forced out a laugh. "Yeah. So, uh, about that . . ."

She stopped abruptly. "Don't tell me you're reconsidering. Hazel, this is your chance at freedom! Don't pass it up now!"

"Wow, you sure like to exaggerate," I said, rolling my eyes.

"Hey, I'm just repeating what you told me all those times you talked about moving." She raised an eyebrow when I didn't return her smile. "Hazel, what's going on?"

I glanced around at the dozens of people bustling about us. "Not here."

…

Once we were in the privacy of Trixie's apartment, I let out a story that was as convincing as it could be, without really sharing anything. It was . . . tough.

"I have to go," I told her. "I'm moving."

"Oh, really? I had no idea," she answered sarcastically.

"That's . . . not what I meant. I mean, I'm not moving here with you. I'm going somewhere else." I moved to her window, looking out at the blooming flowers growing about the complex. "I can't tell you where, though. It's complicated."

She was silent for several moments. "Does this have something to do with that boyfriend of yours?"

My hesitation to answer was all she needed.

"Hazel, you aren't moving in with him, are you?" She walked over to me. "You know that you shouldn't. There's too much that could go wrong-"

"It's not what you're thinking," I quickly interrupted. I did _not_ want to get into one of _those_ conversations. "I'm just . . . leaving. I wanted to say goodbye before I did."

"You could at least tell me where you're going!"

I sighed. "No, I can't. I'm sorry, Trix, I really am. I love you so much, and you were the best friend I could ever ask for." I took her hand. "So I need you to trust me with this. Please."

She looked down at our hands, biting her lower lip. I couldn't even begin to imagine all the crazy thoughts running through her mind. I could tell by the way she was gripping my hands that letting me do this was the last thing she wanted. It hurt me more than I thought it ever would. I could tell it hurt her, too. Even so, it surprised me when she asked, "Will you come visit?"

"I . . . don't know." The truth in my voice was inescapable.

She sighed. "There's no talking you out of this nonsense, is there?" I smiled sadly, shaking my head. Before I was done, Trix pulled me towards her and wrapped me up in a tight hug. I could hear her sniff, and the thickness in her voice as she whispered, "I don't know what has gotten into you lately. Just promise me you'll be careful."

"I promise." And it was a promise I would be forced to keep, if I wanted to stay alive and live as happy of a life as I could with Dex.

She pulled back, holding me at arms length. "Good." She let me go, hastily wiping away her tears. "I don't understand any of this, but . . . I trust you. Don't make me regret it."

"You won't, I'll make sure of it." This conversation, the hurt and worry in Trix's eyes, the weight and pressure of keeping the elves and the Lost Cities hidden-it all made it hard to breathe. The fact that I was moving in with Dex and his family the next day didn't help at all, either. I spent as much more time as i could with Trix before saying what, hopefully, wasn't our final goodbye. Trix promised she would keep an eye on my mom, which I was grateful for.

But the thought didn't make it any easier.

…

Hazel was moving in today.

Things couldn't have been more nerve-racking. I was in the middle of a lecture to the triplets when the doorbell rang.

"I'm warning you, if you do anything to Hazel that bothers her, annoys her, or pretty much anything to her, I _will_ be putting a stink breath elixir in your lushberry juice that will last a month." I glared at the young teenagers for added effect when I heard the bells chime throughout the halls. We all straightened up, and my mom poked her head into the living room.

"She's here!"

…

To think that _my_ boyfriend lived in a place like this made my brain hurt. It was nearly as extravagant as Everglen, and it was _so beautiful_.

Also cold.

Ever since I left after my very first visit in the Lost cities, I've come as often as I could to either Everglen or Rimeshire, getting to know everyone-and all the rules and dangers about having a human like me in the Lost Cities-better. Elves were really amazing, even though they have a few prejudices that I see as major problems. But they were so cool! And now that we know the elixirs work on me, I can live like them, as long, as youthful, as beautiful . . . but . . . it bothered me a bit that I needed to change in order to live with them. I get that, any other way, it wouldn't be able to work out because I would be aging and end up dying _way_ before Dex. But the elixirs had their perks, I guess: I would live longer, I would probably gain more beauty, I would become smarter, Dex even thinks that-if my mind adjusts correctly-I could learn to do some of their elvin skills. Like, I could _levitate._ How awesome is that?

And now, today, things would become official. I was moving to the Lost Cities. For good. I didn't bring much with me. I mostly just brought a whole lotta . . . ahem . . . _girl things._ Apparently, female elves don't go through the same things as female humans. _Luckyyyyyyyyyy_. But, after a while of dating, Dex knew about my "friend," which is what I tend to call it. Back then, I had no idea that he didn't know what it was. He acted like he did pretty well, though. When I told the other girls about it, they _freaked_ -except for Sophie, of course. I mean, I guess it makes sense that they don't get it, considering that fact that elves don't do well with blood in the first place. So I guess it's for the better.

Yeah . . .

"Hazel!" I looked back at the door to see Dex there, grinning his adorable dimples away as soon as he saw me. "I can't believe today's here already." He pulled me in for a hug.

"Hey, bae," I said, wrapping my free arm around his waist. I felt him kiss the top of my head, and then pull away.

"Hazel, how nice to see you again!" Juline came over and greeted me.

"Thanks for letting me stay here with you guys," I told her as she hugged me. Dex's family and I had gotten extremely close in the past months, so we were already at the hugging stage without it being awkward. After putting my bag down and greeting Kesler, I saw the triplets, and as soon as I noticed them, they practically tackled me with a hug. All three of them. I was definitely relieved that they seemed to like me so much. Before I knew it, my butt had landed on the floor, Bex's arms wrapped around my neck from behind and her leaning against my back, Lex and Rex on either side of me, pulling back from their own hug to me.

"Hey, guys," I said with a laugh. I heard Dex grumble something about things "going in one ear and out the other" from where he stood.

"Hazel! Let's have a sleepover tonight!" Bex said. "No boys allowed!"

"Not until she makes a new elixir with me first!" Rex said, crossing his arms. Rex had taken a liking to alchemy, like his father and older brother, and I had begun to like it too. Whenever I visited, we would always make some new elixir together and prank Dex with it. "I have a new formula I've been dying to try out with you!"

"Nuh-uh!" Lex protested. "Hazel's gonna teach me more human dances first!" Lex had seemed to take a liking to human music when I first showed it to him, and when I caught him watching me dance a bit to myself down the hall and to my room, I started teaching him all kinds. Hip hop, swing dance-which was, strangely, one of his favorites-some country and Latina, too. As much as I knew, he wanted to know, too. It was truly adorable. Not to mention the fact that he was really good at it too. He's even making some moves of his own.

"Alright, alright, let's give the girl some room to breathe, shall we?" Kesler interrupted as the triplets started arguing. "She just got here." Dex came in front of me, making the triplets scatter, and extended his hand and helped me up.

"Sorry, they're just excited," he told me.

I shook my head. "It's fine. I'm excited, too."

"We all are," Juline said. Then came the words that suddenly made everything _real_. "Let's get you settled into your room!"

 **A/N) Sorry sorry sorry! I know it's a bit shorter than the others, and I know i haven't posted anything for a while, but i got a little bit of writer's block for this chapter. I hope it was okay. Let me know in the reviews! I love it when you guys review, it really makes my day! And, trust me, my days haven't been that great lately, so . . . yeah. Speaking of reviews, thank you to LionRulersRoar for following, favoriting, all your reviews, and giving my story a chance! And ProjectMoonlark101, thank you for the review, as well. Boy, I haven't heard from you for a while. I remember the days when you reviewed on everything I posted. Le sigh. The good old days. Nah, I'm kidding, review on whatever you want! So, on that note, i should get going. I've got two other stories that I haven't posted on in like, ten days.**

 **Peace out, m'Peeps!**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N) Happy holidays, my wonderful readers! I have returned with Part 9!**

 **DragonMoon88: Thank you so much for your review! I'm glad you like the story! I hope you enjoy this next part!**

 **AND WE HAVE REACHED OVER 1,000 VIEWS, PEOPLE! YAY! I LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH!**

 **Anyways, now that I'm on winter break, I should be updating a bit more frequently now, but I'm not making any promises. Heheheh. Okie. I'll just move onto the story, then.**

 **So, without further adieu, Part 9! Consider it a late Christmas gift . . .**

Part 9

I'd been in my room several times before whenever I stayed at Rimeshire. But I could never help stopping and staring at the beautiful room that I could now call my own. The main color themes were white, periwinkle, and gold. My feet sank into the soft carpet running across the room's floor, and a huge bed sat against the middle of the far wall, overflowing with pillows and comfy blankets. To its right, the wall was a floor-to-ceiling mirror, and to its left were two plush chairs. On the left wall was a mahogany desk painted white with golden accents, and a leathery chair that spun around and had crystal wheels. It also had the doorway that led to my huge, marble bathroom. On the right wall were floor-to-ceiling windows that overlooked the cliffs and oceanic view of Rimeshire, covered with lace, periwinkle curtains. On the back wall was where the entrance to my closet was located, which was huge and filled with all types of elvin clothes that Juline had bought for me. There were also a couple dressers and a vanity. And above me, on the ceiling, was a beautiful, intricately carved crystal chandelier that looked as if it were made of ice. It sparkled, whether it was light or dark in the room. And whenever it was dark in the room, these small, flickering lights would appear and float around like tiny crystals. It was truly amazing.

And now I got to live here.

I was excited, of course. But there was a lingering emptiness in my heart that I couldn't ignore.

…

"Hey," I heard Dex's voice say from the doorway of my room. It was late in the day, and I had finished putting my things away. I was mostly just getting used to the fact that this was my new home.

"Hey," I answered, sitting up in the bed and realizing how dark the room had become. I could still see Dex, but it was dark enough for the flickering specks to start their cycle.

"The others said they'd come to visit tomorrow," he told me. "Give you a little time to get used to everything, you know?"

I nodded. "Thanks." I made my way over to the edge of the bed as he came over and sat next to me. I placed my head on his shoulder and felt him lean his head on mine. We sat there in silence for a few moments, before I finally asked what had been bothering me for so long. "Is this really the right thing to do?"

His answer wasn't exactly what I'd wanted. "I hope so."

I watched the lights dance around a bit before continuing. "Are you sure you want to do this?"

He lifted his head and turned to face me. "What are you talking about?"

I sighed, standing to pace. "Dex, we're still fairly young, especially compared to the elvin lifespan. We aren't sure if our hearts are gonna change. If your heart will change. And then I'll have to leave and forget all about this place. About you. Do you really want to commit to putting you and your family in scorn forever just because of love that might not even last another year?"

"Are you saying that you plan on ending things?"

"What? No! No, no, no. Dex, that's _not_ what I meant. It's just . . . how can you be so confident that everything's going to work out? I mean . . . I'm only human." My voice caught on the last word. Before I could stop myself, tears had escaped from my eyes. I quickly wiped them away. "I'm sorry, I don't know what I'm thinking. I-"

"Hey, it's okay. You don't need to apologize," Dex said softly, coming over to me and cupping my face in his hands. "All you're doing is using that adorably logical side of yours." He tucked a strand of hair behind my ear as he continued. "I know that this is a lot to handle, but I won't let anything happen to you. We'll figure this whole thing out, Hazel. I promise. Okay?"

I sniffed, wondering what I did to deserve such a perfect boyfriend. "Okay." He pulled me closer and wrapped his arms around me, and I felt safe again as all my other worries about the Council finding out about me melted away. But the peace was short-lived.

"Dex! Hazel!" Kesler whisper-yelled, making us pull apart.

"Dad? What's wrong?"

"The Council is here. They showed up out-of-the-blue, and they want to make an inspection of the house."

…

"I don't get it. How did they find out about her?" Dex asked as he, Kesler, and I sprinted to the back of the house. We had a plan for situations like this, and we were prepared. But to think that we need to put the plan into action was a little scary.

"We aren't sure that they're necessarily here for Hazel," Kesler reasoned.

"But it's a good guess," I mumbled.

"It's gonna be fine. We got this," Dex told me, giving my hand a quick squeeze before we turned a corner. I wanted to believe him, but it was hard. But . . . I trusted him. Things would be okay.

We got as far away from the front of the house as possible, where we assumed the Council still was. And once we got outside, we would have light leaped to Everglen. But the Council-or who I assumed was the Council-was already outside. Waiting in all their jewels and finery.

...

"Leaving so soon, Kesler?" Councillor Alina said, eying Hazel in a way that made me want to claw her eyes out. My dad didn't respond, and even though I wanted to, he motioned for me to keep my insults back. I felt Hazel cling to my hand like I was a lifeline, and to her, I probably was. And that's what hurt me the most. I had made her a promise, but I wasn't sure if I would be able to keep it.

"Who might this be?" Emery asked, looking at Hazel.

My girlfriend remained quiet. So did my father and I.

"No need to answer," Alina conceded. "We know very well who she is."

"You didn't honestly believe that we wouldn't find out about your little human friend, did you?" Bronte added. But not necessarily in a mean way. "We found out about Miss Foster's human sister almost as soon as she got here. Hazel is no different."

"But she is," I interrupted. "And I think that she deserves to live here with us."

"Permanently?" Emery asked as the Councillors gasped.

"Not happening," Alina answered. "She knows too much, already. She needs to go."

"But, you let Amy leave without doing a wash!" I reminded them.

"Perhaps, but Amy has a connection to Miss Foster," Bronte told me.

"Yeah, well Hazel has a connection to me. She has a connection to all of us." I wrapped a protective arm around her shoulders. "Just ask the others. Hazel's their friend. You have no idea how well this could work. We could-"

"Mr. Dizznee, a decision has already been made. Think of the uproar that the citizens will cause once they discover a human is living in the Lost Cities," Emery interrupted. "It's simply inevitable that they will find out eventually."

"I'm sure you of all people could find a way to hide this," my dad grumbled. But no matter what we said, the Council wouldn't budge. They even started threatening us as well as Hazel.

"Mr. Dizznee," Emery said to me, "I believe you are underestimating out power. Just hand over the girl and we can pretend this all never happened. Otherwise, you and your family will be in farther scorn than what the bad match has already given you."

"No!" Hazel told them, stepping away from me. She had been shaking, tears of fear have been running down her pretty face. But now, she looked more determined than I've ever seen her before. She wiped her hand over her cheeks, cleaning off the remainder of her tears, and stood firmly in front of the Council. "You leave them out of this! I'm the one you want, right?"

"Hazel? Hazel, what in Exile do you think you're doing?" I hissed. She ignored me.

"Then . . . if you leave them, and all my friends and their families out of it . . . I'll go." What was she doing? Was this some sort of master plan that she hadn't told me about?

"Good girl," Alina said, smiling in a way that made my skin crawl.

"Wait, what? Hazel, no!" Everything happened so quickly. Two of the goblins that had come with the Council grabbed Hazel, lifting her feet off the ground and leaving her kicking in the air. Other goblins held my father and I back from going after her.

"No!" I screamed. "Let her go! She doesn't know what she's doing!"

"Dex, it's okay," she said quietly. Tears pooled her eyes, but she was smiling. She was always smiling, even when things were bad, she alway found a reason to. "Things will be okay."

I wanted to call after her, rip these goblins apart and save her. Take her somewhere far, far away where it could just be the two of us. Where she would be safe. But, even over all the ruckus, I still heard her say to me, "I love you." It made everything in me freeze. Made me stop struggling and taking in the words that I had heard dozens of times. But this time was different. It could have been the last, and I didn't want it to be. But if it was, I needed to make sure I responded.

I barely got the words out before the light took her away.

 **A/N) yes, yes, I know it's short, but what else was I supposed to do? Ooh! Question of the day! Did this make any of you cry? I just wanna know. Because this part could have been super horrible, or so good that it made you all cry. Let me know in the reviews, please! Pretty please? With mallowmelt on top? Don't worry, I'll come up with the next part eventually . . . eventually . . . heheheh . . . But, hey, suspense is suspense. Don't you just love it, sometimes?**

 **Anyway, I should get going. I have to other stories to continue.**

 **Peace out, m'peeps!**


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N) Count Olaf:** **You should have given up a long time ago, orphans. I triumphed the moment you lost your family.**

 **Violet: We didn't lose our family. Only our parents.**

 **Heheh. Sorry, I reeeeaaaalllyyyy like A Series of Unfortunate Events. Klaus is my boy. I binged the whole third season in one sitting, so . . . that says everything. Anyway . . .**

 **Hello hello hello my wonderful readers! (heheh, another SUE reference) I missed you! Happy New Year! Answers to reviews:**

 **Hello: Hello, hello, hello, Hello. Sorry, I think I'm** _ **so**_ **funny sometimes. Thank you so much for your review! And, yes! I love it when my readers start spinning theories! It means my stories are worthy enough to have a small bit of space in their minds! Yay! And, thank you. I try to get the characters in my stories just right, so i'm glad the work paid off! And, yeah I could recognize you. Also, YES I AM TOTALLY OKAY WITH YOU REVIEWING TO EVERY CHAPTER UNTIL I STOP WRITING! That's . . . really nice of you. Wow. I love you so much right now. But like, not in a weird way. Oh, forget it, I say I love my readers all the time, you should get it my now! But *clears throat* Thank you again for your review!**

 **DragonMoon88: To be honest, I don't care if you hate my catchphrase. It certainly doesn't mean I'll hate you! I mean, I can see where you're coming from with the whole, "YOU ONLY SAY IT WHENEVER THERE'S SUSPENSE!" But . . . pretty sure that's the only time a catchphrase like that would actually work. I mean, think about it. The story ends with, "And they lived happily ever after. The End." And then I'm like, "Well, I hope you guys liked the story! Thank you so much for all your reviews and support, but, you know, suspense is suspense!" Yeah . . . no. Lol, it's fine. I rarely use is anyway, so I guess it isn't really a catchphrase. But thanks for your honesty! I'd rather have that than a bunch of lies. And, about the fact that you're a bit of a grammar freak? Same. But, are you really, though? Because you spelled comma wrong in the review, lol. But it's fine, I knew what you meant. Thank you so much for your review!**

 **SillySong73: Awww, thank you! I really appreciate the encouragement! Thank you so much for reading and for your review!**

 **LionRulersRoar: Come on, man, you're gonna make me cry. I try not to give myself a lot of credit because I feel like it doesn't count if it's from myself judging my own work. That's why I love it when I get all these reviews. Because it's others telling me how good or bad my work is, so I know it's the truth and not just me being biased. So thank you! I really appreciate it! I'm glad you like my story so much! Thank you again for your review!**

 **Welp, that's all of 'em. Thank you all again for your reviews and all of you for taking the time to read my story! I love you all so much! I mean, I'm so happy. I have over 1,000 views, 22 reviews, and 3 faves and follows! Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay! I wouldn't be here without any of you guys!**

 **Sappy thanks aside . . .**

 **I should let you all get onto the story. Part 10, people! This is a milestone!**

 **So, without further adieu, part 10!**

Part 10

" _I love you too!"_

I had a feeling that it would be the last time I would hear him say those words to me. Lucky for me, I had my nexus on before the Council light lept me away. The jerks didn't even bother checking for my own safety. Where we lept next, I had no idea. It was an isolated area, a large, empty field of flowers. In the center was a large stone house, looking far too plain to have been built by elves.

"What are you going to do to me?" I asked as the goblins carried me to the house.

"Hush, child," the snooty female Councillor told me.

"I'm not a child," I told her. "Tell me what's going on!" My legs kicked around in empty air in a poor attempt to get out of the goblins' grasp.

"I would watch the way you speak to your authority," a handsome, black male Councillor with a sapphire circlet told me.

"Yeah, well, I hate to break it to you, but you guys aren't _my_ authority. I'm not an elf, remember?"

"She has a point," a Councillor with pointy ears said quietly.

Before I could respond, the goblins had kicked open the wooden door, releasing a musty, dusty smell from the inside. All I could see was darkness, even with the sun shining overhead. The goblins set me down and shoved me inside far rougher than they needed to. And before I could get another word out, they locked me inside.

…

"We have to help her!" I told the others, who had come over to Rimeshire within minutes upon hearing what happened.

"I agree," Alden said. "You would think the Council would grow out of their petty prejudices, but, as we could clearly see . . ." I've never heard Alden diss the Council before. The fact that everyone else cared about Hazel too made me feel a little better. But not enough. _They took her_. And she let them!

. . . All for me . . .

"Yeah, we've gotta save Red," Keefe said, standing up.

"But, we can't do anything if we don't know where she is," Biana reminded us, which put that much more weight on my chest. Sophie stood, coming over to me and wrapping me in a hug.

"Don't worry, Dex. We'll find her." She tightened her hold when I just stood there. "I promise."

"If anything, Sophie and I could use our Cognatedom to track her thoughts, although, considering how powerful Sophie is, I'm sure she could do it herself," Fitz jumped in. Sophie released me, turning to him with a smile.

"I'll always need my Cognate, Fitz." Her face changed to determination, holding out her hand to him. "Let's find Hazel." When Fitz reached out and their rings snapped together, I knew that things would be okay. We have two of the most powerful Telepaths on our side! And an extremely powerful Hydrokinetic, a Shade, a Vanisher, an idiotic Empath, and me. I've grown a whole lot in my Technopathy, so much, that Tinker thinks I could reach her level some day. We've got this.

I just hope Hazel can hold her own until we get there.

"I think you all are forgetting one powerful asset," a familiar voice said from the doorway. We all turned to see a certain petite blonde standing there with her hand on fire and a smirk on her face. "Don't forget that I'm apart of this team too."

"She's right," I said. Marella had been a big part in us defeating the Neverseen. And, she had also found out about Hazel during the past six months, so that's there too. Of course we would consider her one of us. She's our friend, and I was happy to have her on the team.

"Before you kids get carried away," Mr. Forkle said, coming up behind her as she snuffed out the flame, "we need to figure out exactly what this _team_ is for. We can't possibly go up against the Council without commiting several offenses."

"He's right, you know," Alden agreed as he eyed Sophie and Fitz going all Cognate with each other. Every second I watched them, hands held, eyes closed, brows furrowed, but no answers, made me wanna go crazy.

"Yeah, just because we saved the entire human _and_ elvin race doesn't mean we get full pardon from crimes," Tam added with an eye roll.

"Well, you have to consider all the destruction that happened with the fight," Linh told him.

"And all the casualties," Biana added quietly.

"Compared to the rest of the _world_ ," Keefe said, "a few casualties isn't that bad. At least no one died!"

"They were still serious injuries," Marella told him, narrowing her eyes at him.

Before anyone could respond, Sophie and Fitz's eyes popped open, and the looks they were giving each other made my heart stop.

"What?" I asked, going over to them. "What happened? Please tell me you found her." I didn't like how desperate I sounded, because it just meant I didn't think Hazel would be okay. She knew how to hold her own. I could still remember the time we first met, when she sucker punched two guys and scared off the third. But, still . . . I was her boyfriend. Of course I was worried!

So the words that came out of Sophie's mouth next just multiplied those feelings by one thousand.

"We couldn't find her."

…

My fists hurt from banging on the door for the past hour. My throat was sore from screaming to let me out. My eyes were straining to see in the dark room, and I flinched at every little sound. I had no idea what was in here. I was terrified. My knees eventually gave out and I leaned against the door, the only other sound in the cold room being my breathing. I have no idea how much more time passed before the door was pushed open against me. I must have been asleep, because I jolted back to consciousness as soon as I start moving.

"Make quick work of her," I heard someone say. "Her friends have probably already started searching for her."

A grunt was heard, and I scrambled across the floor and away from the voices.

"Let me out!" I screamed, still not able to see anything. But no one responded. Someone entered, the door shut, and I heard footsteps coming towards me. I wish I had the skill of night vision like elves, but I haven't taken all the elixirs long enough yet.

"I'm not going to hurt you," the voice, low and deep, told me. "Unless you resist."

"What are you going to do?" I asked, unable to escape the tremble in my voice.

No answer.

I heard the sound of something opening, and then something was being released into the room, like some sort of gas. I wasn't thinking straight, otherwise, I would've realized that I needed to hold my breath. But I couldn't. The sickeningly sweet scent filled my nose, and my last thought was the hope that Dex and his family would stay safe.

…

"What do you mean you can't find her?" I asked. "What happened?" Several different theories spun around in my head so fast that it was giving me a headache. And I didn't like any of them. The only way the wouldn't be able to hear someone's thoughts would be because . . .

NO.

I wouldn't think about that. The Council may have some problems, but they wouldn't resort to _that_.

"I don't know," Fitz said. "We combined our mental energy, searched as far as we could, which is pretty much the entire world. But . . . we couldn't find her." My hands shook, my eyes stared down at nothing. My mind spiraled. I didn't even acknowledge her when Biana came over and hugged me. All I cared about was finding Hazel.

I had to find her.

 _Just hang in there, Hazel. We'll find you. I promise._

 **A/N) The End. Yup. The story's over. You never find out if Hazel is rescued or not. Or if she dies. Or if she and Dex are reunited and get married later. That's how it ends.**

 **. . .**

 **. . .**

 **I'M KIDDING! Yeesh. Y'all were ready to start throwing tomatoes at me, weren't you? Or maybe start spamming me. Like: KEEPWRITINGKEEPWRITINGKEEPWRITING! Or: FINISHTHESTORYFINISHTHESTORYFINSIHTHESTORY!**

 **I dunno. I mean, I could always just end it here. What do you guys think? Should I? Should I leave you here to suffer? To wonder what happened? To live the rest of your life wishing you could have found me, held me at gunpoint, and threatened me, saying that if I didn't finish the story that I would die? Hm . . . probably went a little too far on that one. Oh well. I guess you guys will find out . . .**

 **Eventually.**

 **Peace out, m'peeps!**


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N) I'M NOT ENDING THE STORY JEEZ! Sooooo many of you thought I was being serious for a second there. I definitely got a good laugh out of that! Yeah yeah I know, I know, I'm evil. But that's okay, because (get ready for the lamest transition ever) now it's time for answers to reviews!**

 **LionRulersRoar: Thanks for your review! And, no I wasn't going to end it there, haha. And now your wait is over!**

 **A very obsessed fangirl: Tbh, I didn't read it, I watched it, but, uh . . . same thing. And, yes you actually followed through on something! Good job! I'm pretty sure you're having those fangirl rants so often because, well . . . look at your username.**

 **Hello: Hello again. Love the new intro, btw! As for your review time: No, Hazel didn't drink the potions (elixirs) yet. I think. I forgot. It'll all work out, don't worry. I'm not too sure about your theory on who Tinker is, but I** _ **totally**_ **agree with who Blur is! And wraith? Uh . . . I dunno. Hmmmm . . .**

 **FlowerGirl15: Thank you for both of your reviews! And, wow. You** _ **really**_ **ship Dazel, don't you? Good thing I didn't end the story there, bc I really don't feel like being hunted down right now. Oh! No wonder you like my stories so much! Because of all the suspense! That's great! Glad you like the stories!**

 **DragonMoon88: Ohhhhhh. See, I hadn't read your profile until, like, just now. Heheh, I see you finally spelled comma correctly. Was that because of me? Or did you figure it out on your own? And, don't worry! You don't need to die because the story isn't over yet! Yay! Aw, you feel like punching me sometimes? That's actually a compliment, because you feel like doing the same to Shannon Messenger, so yeah. Thanks! And, yeah, i shouldn't have given you any ideas. NO MORE SPAMMING! Thank you for your review!**

 **FitzSophie: Don't worry, here I am! Updating! Yay! Thank you for reviewing!**

 **Thank you, again, all of you, for reviewing on my story! I'm setting a goal: 50 reviews! So far, we have 29. Think we can reach 50 within the next two chapters?** _ **If**_ **we have two more chapters . . . heheheh . . . Thank you all so much for reading! I'll let you guys get onto the story!**

 **So, without further adieu, the next part!**

Part 11

"We've been searching for _weeks_ ," Keefe groaned. "She couldn't have just vanished!"

"Fitz, let's try using our telepathy again," Sophie suggested to her Cognate, holding out her hand to him. He took it, and the two set to work. Dex hadn't slept in the past several days, had barely eaten, because he knew that whatever he managed to scarf down would just end up coming back up within ten minutes. When he'd slept before, he'd have the same nightmare over and over again: It started happily, with Hazel back in his arms again, but she was dragged away from him by huge goblins, she would let out a scream, and he would try to run after her, but he couldn't move. He would have to just stand there, watching them lock her up, torture her, and the scream that she would let out right before they killed her is what always woke him up.

He looked like a pure mess, with big, dark circles under his eyes, his strawberry blond hair hadn't been combed in days, and his periwinkle eyes had the emotion of worry and fear burned into them. He'd tried calling her, but none of that worked. He even tried tracking her phone, but . . . nope. He'd started muttering to himself, too.

"She's gonna be okay, she's gonna be okay." Over and over again. Biana would constantly be next to him, being sure she was always there whenever he looked like he needed a hug, or was about to break.

"I think we should just go to Eternalia and storm their castles," Tam said from his shadowy corner.

"Yeah, we could probably force the answer out of them if we tried hard enough," Marella added. But Dex seemed to not even hear them. The whole Hazel-being-taken-after-being-discovered-by-the-Council ordeal had taken a real toll on him. And, even though he had all his friends and even the Black Swan helping him, they still couldn't find her anywhere.

Rex, Lex, and Bex all poked their heads into the living room after Dex's parents had walked in.

"She's gonna be okay, right, Mom?" Bex asked quietly. The triplets were equally as worried. Dex didn't hear his mother answer. He'd almost lost all hope of ever finding her.

That is, until Mr. Forkle came rushing in.

Dex stood as soon as he saw the expression on the man's face. "Did you find something?"

"We might have, but, I'm not necessarily sure if it's good news, or bad," he answered slowly.

"Is she at least alive?" Dex asked, becoming impatient.

Mr. Forkle nodded. "Yes, she's alive and doing well. But . . . we found her back in Philadelphia.

…

Alright. I had an hour to myself. And hour to explore the city. I mean, I did it all the time, and it was the best hour of my day. Life at home tended to be hectic, and this hour to myself was my escape from my life there. Out here in Phili, I was a different Hazel. I was City Hazel. The real me, without any home problems to keep me back.

I hopped on my bike and peddled down the streets to as close to the center of the city as I could. So many people, just going about their daily lives; some were tourists, others were walking their dogs. Some, like me, were riding around on their bikes. It was a clear, sunny autumn day, perfect weather, in my opinion. I had on a large black sweater and leggings, along with some Uggs. Perfect outfit. Comfy and simple.

I steered my bike onto the sidewalk and got off, walking it to a bike rack and locking it in place. Then I turned around and smiled when I saw the famous restaurant known for its Phili cheesesteaks. They were delicious. I went inside, not surprised at how packed it was, but it was empty enough that there was room for me.

"Hey, Hazel," Trixie said, giving me her usual grin. The pretty black waitress-who was now barely a senior in college-led me to the booth where I would usually eat a late lunch. "How ya doin', girl?"

"As good as can be expected," I answered. "What about you, Trix?"

"College is still college," she answered. "But, you know-"

"At least you're in college," I finished off. "Yeah, yeah, I _do_ know. Always so positive."

"Well, then, how's school for you?"

"Eh. Sophomore year isn't the greatest, but, you know," I shrugged. "I just can't help but feel like I'm missing something, though. I feel like it's right there." I stuck out my hands in front of me and looked straight ahead. Then I sighed and shook my head. "Nevermind. I'll just have my usual, thanks. Oh, and-"

"Don't forget the jalapenos, yup. I know, I know," she finished with a wink. "I'll be on break soon." I watched her walk towards the restaurant's kitchen before taking out my phone, keeping myself busy. One of the posts on Instagram caught my eye: a girl was reposting some old Christmas GIF, complete with Santa Clause and tiny elves. It was kinda funny, but nothing that I would waste a "like" on.

"Wait a minute," I said to myself. "Elves don't look like that." Hold on, what? Why would I say something like that? It was as if my mind were controlling me. I sat up straighter, for some reason agreeing with what I had just said. "Elves _don't_ look like that." Some sort of urge inside me pulled on my heart like a magnate, ripping open an empty hole that I hadn't realized was there. I jumped up from my seat and raced towards the back, almost crashing into Trix, who was bringing me a bottle of Coke.

"Woah, what's going on?" She asked.

"I-I don't know," I stammered. "Cancel my order. I'm sorry, but I can't eat with you today. I'll see you tomorrow." And I dashed back towards the entrance of the restaurant, being sure to dodge the other employees. When I got outside, I looked around frantically, as if whatever this urge was would just _show_ itself to me. Call out. Explain itself. My eyes trailed to the right, towards the alleyway between the restaurant and the AT&T next door. I hurried over to it, the passer-bys barely noticing me. Something about this alleyway felt significant, and it kept tugging at my brain. I took a step farther in, and then something triggered.

" _Guys, seriously, leave me alone," I said as they somehow managed to back me into the alleyway between the restaurant and the AT &T shop next door._

" _We just wanna have a little fun," the oldest, who was probably sixteen, told me as my back hit the wall._

" _Yeah, well that ain't happening," I told him, my voice steady. "I suck the fun out of everything. So leave me alone." The boys shared a look with each other, but they didn't leave. The other two boys looked between fourteen and fifteen._

" _Give us your number," the one in the middle said._

" _No."_

" _Why?"_

" _Because I don't know any of you."_

" _Well, we could get to know each other a little better," the oldest said. Without warning, he grabbed my hand and yanked me towards him, making me crash into his chest. His hand grabbed my waist in a way that went way over my boundaries. And then something clicked._

 _I stomped on his toes as hard as humanly possible, making him howl in pain and release me. When one of the other boys tried grab me, I gave him my hardest uppercut, sending him flying backwards and into the wall. I spun around to see the last boy staring at me with wide eyes._

" _You wanna turn?" I asked through gritted teeth as I shook out my fist. He shook his head vigorously and he rushed to help his buddies out. When I flinched towards them, they took off running. I kept my fists up for a few more seconds, glad that no one came to investigate. I relaxed and sat against the wall, letting out a sigh of relief._

" _Hey, are you okay?" I heard a girl's voice ask from somewhere in the alleyway. I looked to my right to see seven teenagers around my age coming towards me._

They all looked so familiar, especially the strawberry blond one. I felt some sort of hidden connection to him-but I don't ever remember meeting him before this moment in that memory. Why was I _just_ remembering this? A vaguely familiar voice pulled me out of my pondering.

"Hazel?"

…

We'd finally found her! After all this time of worrying and working to get her back, she was finally here, right in front of my eyes, looking as beautiful as ever. And she was safe; I'd been worrying all this time for no reason. I ran up to her, wasting no time at all and giving her the tightest hug I could muster. But her reaction was _not_ what I'd expected.

She pushed me away, a look of confusion of her face. "What are you doing? Who are you?"

I froze, not wanting to register what I had just heard. "W-what?"

"Who. Are. You?" She took a step away from me, glancing behind me at the others, as well. It had only been Fitz and Keefe who'd come along with me, just to be safe.

"Hazel, come on it's me," I told her. "You've gotta remember me."

"Remember you? What are you talking about?"

I let out a shaky breath. "No. Oh no, what did they do to you?" I silently cursed at the Council. Then, I looked back at her, my eyes pleading with her beautiful hazel ones and begging them to remember mine. I took a cautious step towards her, and thankfully, she didn't step away.

"Come on, Hazel. It's me. Dex." I reached out my hand to her, slowly, carefully.

"D-Dex?" She repeated. I nodded. She let the word roll off her tongue a couple more times before her face lost all expression for a split second. Then she groaned, grabbing her head and falling to her knees. I rushed to catch her, obviously worried, but my heart couldn't help but swell at the feeling of her in my arms again.

"Hazel? Hazel, what's wrong?" I asked as Keefe and Fitz came over to help. When she didn't answer, Fitz helped me pull her further into the alley and said, "We've gotta go. Let's get her back home." I nodded, and Keefe clasped a nexus around her wrist. I watched as she gritted her teeth, groaning again. I picked her up, carrying her bridal-style, and Fitz and Keefe each placed a hand on one of my shoulders. As we stepped into the path of light Fitz had created, I vowed that I would make the Council pay for this.

 **A/N) Heheh, END OF CHAPTER! Not STORY. CHAPTER! See? I'm not torturing you all nearly as much this time. I think. Thanks again for reading! And please review! We need, like, 21 more to reach 50!**

 **Peace out, m'peeps!**


	12. Author's Note: Please Read

**A/N) Hey guys, sorry but this isn't a new chapter. It's actually just an Author's Note, but I need you guys to read it. I'm really sorry to do this, but I think I need a break. It won't be for that long, maybe a few weeks, or less. But I do actually need a break, I'm sorry. Especially with all the cliffhangers I keep leaving you on! But I promise I'll be back really soon! For all I know, I'll end up ignoring this announcement and post within a week and a half, because I just can't bear being away from you wonderful readers and my fanfictions! I** _ **love**_ **writing, it's one of my most favorite things to do. But I know this break will do me some good. Again, I'm sorry. I hope you all can understand. But I'll be back before you know it! So, with that being** **said . . .**

 **Peace out, m'peeps!**


	13. Chapter 12

**A/N) yay! The break's over! I'm back, dear readers! Did you miss me? No? Understandable. But I've finally come back with part 12! So now we'll know what happens next! I just wanna say thank you to all of you for understanding why I suddenly took a break. But, I couldn't stay away for long! I just love writing for you guys so much. You've all been so encouraging! Don't worry, I got your reviews from the last chapter, but I'm pretty sure you guys really just want to get onto the story, so I'll answer reviews at the end of the chapter. Might get a bit steamy, but nothing too serious, I promise! I try to avoid writing stuff like that . . .**

 **So, without further adieu, the next part!**

Part 12

We were greeted by several different shouts of "Hazel!" and "You found her!" and "Oh no, is she okay?"

My mom came up to me and studied Hazel's face, watching her writhe in pain. "Someone hail Elwin and Forkle!" She called over her shoulder. Looking up at me, she added, "Let's get her to her room."

After placing her carefully on her bed, I knelt beside her, brushing her amber-red hair off her forehead.

"It's gonna be okay, Hazel," I whispered. "I promise, everything's gonna be okay." The next several minutes were a blur. Elwin came rushing in, managing to pour some dark purple elixir down her throat to sedate her. Mr. Forkle came in as Magnate Leto, and once Hazel was sedated, he entered her mind. He stood there for what seemed like an eternity. I just wanted my Hazel back. It had been weeks-months, even. All I wanted was to have her in my arms again, to feel the sweet sensation of her soft, pink lips on mine. To tangle my fingers through her silky hair and down her slender back. To hold her hand in mine again. To have her as my girlfriend again. I missed her. _So much_.

"Well, now I know what had happened," Leto stated quietly as he pulled his hand away from Hazel's temples.

"You do?" Biana asked, beating me to the question.

"Yes." Leto face had no expression whatsoever at all at the moment, but his curling and uncurling fist betrayed him. "This was the Council's doing. They took her to an isolated shed and washed her memories of everything about the elves that she knew." I didn't even try hiding my anger once I heard what they'd done. They'd wiped me out of her life, making me think I'd never see her again. They would pay.

"Is she gonna be okay?" Keefe asked.

Leto nodded, which made me release a breath I hadn't even realized I'd been holding. "Yes, she'll be fine. All her memories are being restored as we speak. Seeing you three must have triggered them," he said to Keefe, Fitz, and I. "By the time the sedative wears off, she should have them all back. It's only a matter of time, thankfully."

"I'll stay with her," I volunteered. No one protested otherwise. Everyone filed out of the room, murmuring among themselves how happy they were that Hazel was back. Sophie came up to me before she left and gave me a tight hug.

"Things are gonna be just fine," she told me. "We'll beat the Council on this." I just hoped she was right.

…

Dozens and dozens of scenes flashed around in my mind, causing immense pain to shoot through my head. But with each scene came meaning. They were memories. Memories that I had somehow forgotten. But . . . how could I forget Dex? He was . . . he was the love of my life. I could never forget him. But with each passing second, I remembered what happened with the Council, and how they took me away from Dex and his family and . . . and . . . I can't remember what happened after that. I then saw scenes including my mother throwing a bottle at me, and I barely dodged it as it crashed into the wall behind me. I remember running to Trixie the next day and crying. I remember feeling so empty, like something was missing, but I didn't know what.

Now I did.

I remembered everything I once knew about the elves and meeting Dex and what life in the Lost Cities was like. I wanted to go back. But I couldn't wake up. The scenes kept spinning around my mind, faster and faster, feeding my mind and filling the holes that were once there, until the cyclone suddenly stopped. My mind settled. I felt dizzy, and I was trying to focus. In front of me was a glowing, white rope. I had the instinct to grab onto it, and once I did, I was yanked out of my mind and back into my body.

I jolted awake, sitting up and looking around me frantically. The room I was in seemed familiar. I think . . . I think this was my room. It was dimly lit, but I could see every beautiful detail was still there. Everything was in its place. A soft stirring to my right caused me to jump. My stomach turned as I remembered what the Council did to me, and I was worried that someone might have found me. All I wanted was to see Dex again. It'd been _months_ since I'd seen my little Technopath. I missed him. _So much_.

"W-who's there?" I whispered, unable to hide the fear lodging my throat. I heard a quiet groan as the person who was sitting in the chair next to me straightened. My eyes adjusted to the darkness, and a strip of moonlight peeking through the curtains reflected off a pair of periwinkle eyes that I could never forget. "Dex? Is that you?"

"Hazel? You're . . . you're awake?" He stood, the sound of his voice triggering the speedometer of my heart to go 200 beats per minute. I breathed out a laugh, my heart swelling with so much emotion it hurt. But it was worth it.

He rushed towards me, pretty much jumping onto the bed and strangling me with a hug. I fell across the mattress on my back, laughing and hugging him back. He peppered my neck with kisses, shooting the tingles through my body that I'd missed so much. My legs were tangled under the sheets, but I didn't care. I had Dex back again. Until I'd gotten back my memories, I hadn't realized how much I just wanted to hold him like this again, to run my fingers through his hair and kiss him till my lips were swollen. He flipped me over on top of him, my hair falling over my shoulder and beside his head. My thumb brushed over one of his dimples, causing me to smile even wider than before. I caressed his cheeks and leaned down and pressed my lips against his, something I'd been wanting to do for what seemed like an eternity.

"I missed you so much," he told me between kisses. "More than you could ever know."

"I'm so happy you're okay. I thought . . ." I pulled back as reality came over me. "I thought the Council was going to do something horrible to you." He raised his hand to my face, and I couldn't help leaning into his touch.

"We're fine. You don't have to worry about anything." He pulled me against him, and I nestled against his chest. "I promise, everything's gonna be okay." I felt the tips of his fingers play with the ends of my hair, his other hand wrapped around my waist. I wished we could stay like this forever, just wrapped up in each other and embracing the other's warmth. It wasn't until he asked me if I was okay when I realized I had been crying.

"I'm fine," I said, straightening up a bit to look at him. He brushed away my tears. "I'm just . . . I'm glad to be back. I . . . I love you so much." I went down to kiss him again, and right before our lips touched, I heard him whisper, "I love you too, Hazel."

…

I woke up the next morning to several snickers echoing around the room. I groggily opened my eyes, wanting to ignore the sounds, but I couldn't.

Especially when I heard, "I never thought Dex would be the first of us to . . . you know, _that._ "

"Keefe, there's no saying he did any of that! Shut up!"

The first thing I saw when my eyes opened was Hazel's adorable face as she slept peacefully next to me. It would be, from then on, my favorite thing to wake up to. But it was ruined when I realized there were other people in the room . . . and they saw me . . . next to Hazel . . . on the bed.

 _Crap._

Before I could say anything, Hazel's pretty eyes fluttered open, and within a few seconds, she seemed to be able to process the situation around us. At the same time, we both panicked, shot up, and shouted, "I SWEAR WE DIDN'T DO _ANYTHING_!" We probably look like, as humans would say, a deer in headlights. Everyone burst out laughing. My mom went up to Hazel and hugged her tightly.

"We know you didn't," she assured us, glancing at me with a smile. My cheeks burned, and Keefe's comment of, "Well, we _think_ you didn't," didn't help. At least Sophie slapped his arm for me.

The next few minutes consisted of Hazel climbing out of the bed and everyone hugging her and welcoming her back and questioning her and making sure she was okay. The entire time, I sat on the edge of the bed, just watching her smile and be happy and as beautiful as ever. The horrible feelings those months worrying about her and wondering if she was okay gave me would be with me for the rest of my life. No matter how much more time I spent with her, or how many times I would show her how much I loved her, I would always miss her. I loved her. Realizing she had woken up last night and just _being_ with her was the greatest feeling in the world. I'm pretty sure last night was the best I'd ever slept in a _long_ time. I think it was because I finally knew she was okay, and she was safe, right beside me. I missed having my arms wrapped around her, having her against me. My heart had swelled with so much emotion that I thought it was about to explode.

As she hugged Linh, she caught my eye, smiling at me as something briefly glinted over her hazel eyes. I don't know what it was, but it made me feel like I was on the moon. Oh, I was _so_ catching her alone later.

 **A/N) Awwwwwww . . . DEX I LOVE YOU SO MUCH YOU'RE ADORABLE! Isn't he? I really like writing a love story for my little cinnamon roll. He deserves it. Sorry this chapter was so short! I know you all have been waiting for a while, but I'll try to post more often, okay? And now . . . answers to reviews!**

 **A very obsessed fangirl: Haha, thank you! But, no. I feel like if we do that, it wouldn't count as truly 21 reviews, ya know? Thank you for reading!**

 **stardust020: YES THEY WIPED HER MEMORIES! CAN YOU BELIEVE IT? Lol, thank you for your review! And, here's the update! Well, it's actually up there ^ but you know what I mean.**

 **LionRulersRoar: Haha, yaaaaassss! Dex appreciates your support! Thanks for your review!**

 **Hello: Aww, thank you! And, it's okay to see that** _ **we**_ **found Hazel. Because we totally did! I appreciate the compliments, and to be honest . . . I'm working on some original pieces of work. Shhhhh. I'll see what I can do about putting Undecided13 on the cover, heheh. Thanks for your review!**

 **fluff: Honey, you could** _ **always**_ **hate Alina and the Council even more.**

 **Thank you all so much for reading and for your reviews! I really appreciate your support and encouragement through my fanfics! Without you guys, I might not be writing this right now. As some of you might know, this story originally started in my one-shot series and was requested by one of my readers. But the story just kept going on and on and eventually have five parts in my one-shot series! Which is way too many for one-shots! So, I brought it up, and you guys agreed for me to put it on a separate doc! And now I have people who haven't read my one-shots reading this story and going through Dex and Hazel's adventure with me! So thank you!**

 **Don't forget to review, favorite, and follow!**

 **Peace out, m'peeps!**


	14. Part 13

**A/N) Haaaaaaaappy Valentine's Day to all you lovers out there! And Happy Singleness Awareness Day to all you . . . single people! Yaaaaaaay! For those of you who've never gotten a valentine, or are single (both of which I proudly am), I'll write you guys a valentine!**

 **Roses are red**

 **Violets aren't blue**

 **What better way to spend Valentine's Day**

 **Than reading about Hazel and her Dexie boo?**

 **Yaaaay! Sorry for not updating last weekend, but I'm here with the next chapter now! Just in time for Valentine's Day! And now, answers to reviews!**

 **Hello: Heyo! Aw, thank you! And I hope the Council doesn't find out about Hazel again, either :( But . . . you never know heheheh . . . Currently, I do not have a watt pad account-which reminds me, if you see anything on there that's pretty much** _ **any**_ **of my fanfics, please tell me, because that's not me. Thanks! But I might be getting one soon, I'm not sure. I'll let you know, though! And thank you so much for understanding. Of course I wouldn't be away for four months! I couldn't bear being away that long!**

 **A very obsessed fangirl: Yay! I'm back! Aw, good you guys did miss me! And, about the** _ **yay**_ **s? Heheh, yeeeaaaah, you did.**

 **LionRulersRoar: Nah, Dex always appreciates the encouragement, don't worry. And, wow, that got dark . . . though, I usually think that way, so it's no big deal. Yes, yes he is.**

 **stardust020: Of course I'm not done with the story! I would have let you all know if I was, causing a bunch of angry spam . . . I'm glad you like it so much! And, I might do that, now that you mention it.**

 **Thank you all so much for your reviews! But, this author's note has been long enough.**

 **So, without further adieu, the next part!**

Part 13

Dex and Hazel were having some alone time while the rest of the group gathered in the living room later that day.

"It's so sweet that they're back together again," Linh stated. "I would hate to forget about you," she added to Fitz, taking his hand. He whispered something to her, something only she could hear and had apparently made her blush.

"I don't think I could forget about Foster, even if I tried," Keefe said with a wink to his girlfriend. "Not that I would want to." He pecked her cheek, making Sophie's face flame. Thank goodness the adults were talking in a separate room.

Suddenly, Biana giggled, looking at her own boyfriend. "Aw, Tam . . ." The others all looked down to see Tam's shadow crawling away from Biana's, hinting at private statement between the two. Tam was never one to show his true feelings in public. But the Shade did manage a slight blush when she leaned over and whispered something back to him. The separate couples were lost in their own worlds as the adults walked in a few minutes later.

"We all know what the obvious situation here," Forkle announced as the six teenagers gave each other cheeky smiles. "And we need to confront it before it catches up to us."

"Are you saying that we go to the Council ourselves?" Sophie asked, glancing at her friends. By the expressions on their faces, she could tell they were all thinking about the different outcomes with that suggestion.

"Perhaps," Forkle answered, deep in thought.

"We don't want to do it right away, though," Alden jumped in. "Hazel just got back, and we don't want to risk her being taken away again. We all saw how it affected Dex."

"How it affected all of us," Biana added quietly.

"The Council can be brutal sometimes," Tam said after a few moments of silence. "They didn't even give Hazel a chance."

"Red's a good girl," Keefe agreed, which surprised everyone. Keefe and Tam _never_ agreed. "They just can't see past her human skin."

"Even though it was mostly the Neverseen's fault that the humans rebelled," Fitz said, causing flashbacks of their days against the Neverseen. "Things are finally changing. Why can't they see that?"

"Well, I don't think we can exactly just go to some popular human city and show up levitating. What are we gonna say? 'Hey, remember us? We're the elves who are secretly living on the earth with you guys!'?" Linh inquired.

"Miss Song is correct," Mr. Forkle agreed. "It isn't that simple. I fear that humans and elves may never find a way to connect ever again."

"Well, Dex and Hazel proved that theory wrong," Sophie reminded him. "But I get what you're saying. As an entire species, I don't think we'd get along, either."

"So then, what are we supposed to do about the Council?" Keefe voiced the question they were all thinking, but had no answer to.

"We'll have to be patient and think," Alden concluded. "I'm sure there's no reason to worry."

…

"Smile." I held up the phone and clicked the camera button. Yes, I was taking a selfie with Dex, but can you blame me? I hadn't seen him in _months_. I missed so many little moments that we could've had before. I was just trying to fill in the gap. We were in my room, sitting on the bed, our backs against the pillows at the head of the mattress while everyone else was downstairs. I was thankful for the alone time with him, so we could catch up.

"That's a nice one," Dex said as I checked the picture. I hummed an agreement, heading back to the camera and taking another, this time of me kissing Dex's cheek. I laughed when I saw his blush.

"Aw, come on, it's cute," I told him, swiping through the pictures. We had tons of selfies together in my gallery, as well as some with the others. I giggled when I saw the one of me and Keefe, the blond boy making the silliest face possible. Dex leaned his head on my shoulder, and on instinct, I leaned my head on his, sighing contentedly.

"I missed you so much," Dex whispered, moving his head slightly to look up at me. "You have absolutely no idea how worried I was." He reached over and took my hand, intertwining our fingers together and brushing his thumb over mine. "I thought the Council might have won. I . . ."

"Shhh," I cooed, placing my phone away next to me and caressing his cheek with my free hand. "It's okay . . . I'm here now." I turned my head and kissed the top of his, brushing my thumb back and forth across his cheek. "I'm here . . ." We sat there together for who knows-and who cares-how long. I was just glad do be back with Dex in my arms again. Knowing about the history between elves and humans, it was hard to believe that Dex and I had a connection like this one. And it wasn't like we were just really good friends. He was my boyfriend. We loved each other, and no matter how hard the Council tried, nothing would change that.

Not even erasing my memories.

…

"There you two lovebirds are," Keefe teased as Hazel and I walked hand-in-hand into the living room downstairs. Dinner was going to be ready in a few minutes, and as far as I could tell, none of the adults were here. My mom and the other women must have been in the kitchen, and I could only assume my dad and the other men were contemplating about what to do with the Council situation. I kind of wished I were there talking about it with them, but right now, I also wanted to be nowhere else but with Hazel.

"I can't get over how cute you two are together," Biana smiled. "It's truly amazing."

"I think you might be stretching the _amazing_ a bit there, B," Hazel told her, but I felt her give my hand a squeeze before letting it go. To me, she added, "I'll be right back. I . . . forgot something." She turned and walked back in the direction of her room. I didn't like leaving her alone like that, not after everything that just happened, but I supposed she would be okay. I sat down by Biana and Tam and we all just started making small talk.

But I couldn't help but feel something was wrong.

…

I locked myself in the bathroom and ran straight to the toilet, barely making it in time to hurl. I knew what was wrong, and it scared me. But I couldn't say anything to anyone. Otherwise, the Council would hurt Dex and his family, and I couldn't let that happen, no matter what. A memory flashed in my mind.

" _We know that they'll find you," Alina sneered. "And when they do, we'll have to take you away again. Maybe even lock you up. And your little boyfriend, too."_

" _No! You promised to leave Dex and his family out of this!"_

" _Since when has the Council ever kept any of its promises, darling?" She answered. She came close, holding something in her fist. Opening it, a small blue vile filled with a thin liquid unrolled by its string. She smiled. "None of the other members know about this, so let's keep it quiet, shall we?"_

" _What are you talking about? What is that?"_

" _If you want the Dizznees to live the rest of their lives as happily as a bad match's family can, then when they find you, you'll drink this. We won't come after you again. We won't need to. Not when we find out you're dead."_

I had no choice. I had to drink it. Over the past months when I was gone, it had been safely hidden in my room. The minute Dex had left the room to go to the bathroom, I found it and chugged it down, throwing the glass bottle out the window and hearing it shatter on the ground. I had to do it. I had to keep them safe. They were practically my family, and I loved all of them.

But sometimes, when you love someone, you have to make sacrifices to protect them.

Even if it means dying.

 **A/N) WHAT DO YOU MEAN** _ **DYING**_ **? ARE YOU DYING? WHAT THE HECK!? IS HAZEL KILLING HERSELF?! DID COUNCILLOR ALINA MAKE HER DRINK A LETHAL ELIXIR BY** _ **BLACKMAILING**_ **HER? (I'm not trying to be insensitive to anyone who has gone through losing someone through suicide, or has even tried committing suicide themselves, because it is a very serious thing. As it will be in this story. I'm very sorry if it offended anyone in any way.)**

 **Sorry that part was so short! I'll try to update soon! I know you guys are dying to find out what's going on with Hazel. Although, I'm sure you have some theories . . . Please review! In the spirit of Valentine's Day, I'll make a stupid deal! If this story reaches 50, no, 51 reviews with this chapter alone (that's thirteen reviews), then I'll tell my crush that I like him next time I see him and let you know how it went. Impossible, right? The 51 reviews thing? Yeah. That's why I'm setting the bar so high. Because I don't want to tell him. Yay. SO DON'T LET THIS REACH 51 REVIEWS!**

 **But, know you know that if it does, you guys will actually get something out of it.**

 **(please don't leave fifty one reviews)**

 **BUT STILL ACTUALLY REVIEW ON THIS CHAPTER!**

 **Peace out, m'peeps!**


	15. Chapter 14

**A/N) RAPID FIRE MODE! Would you look at that? I updated all three of my stories in one day! Whuuuuuuuuuuut? Looks like you all are getting triple Deci today! AND THANK GOODNESS WE DIDN'T REACH 51 REVIEWS YAY! And now, answers to reviews . . .**

 **Stargirl020: WHAT? YES! HAZEL! AHHHH! DON'T DIE BECAUSE THE NEXT CHAPTER IS HEEEEEERE! I'M UPDATING! I'M UPDATING! Thanks for that!**

 **A very obsessed fangirl: . . . just . . . wow. Okay. Wow. That, uh . . . I think you just made me deaf through text? Wow. Aw, thank you! And I don't need that luck because I didn't have to tell him! I probably wouldn't have, either way . . .**

 **LionRulersRoar: Is everything going perfectly though? Because I sure didn't reach 51 reviews . . . Lol, have fun with your Sophitz. Thanks for reviewing!**

 **Hi: Hi there! You can call me Deci, if you want to, rather than No One. That kind of sounds mean. Like, "oh hey no one!" *sobs* I'm kidding! Welcome to the reviewing community! So glad could join us! I'm glad you like my story! And, it's more like weekly updates. I** _ **really**_ **hope Hazel doesn't kill herself either! Oh, wait . . . Anyway, I completely agree. I don't really like writing stuff like that. But, if you want other clean stories, check out my other ones! You can see them on my profile. Also, I appreciate the advice, but I was pretty sure that it wouldn't reach 51 reviews, so I had no plan of** _ **actually**_ **telling him. Like, honestly. I don't think I'll ever tell him. I hate pressure, in all honesty. I wouldn't wanna do that to him. I'll never let social media influence me in any negative way. Thank you for the advice! I appreciate you and your review! Thank you! I hope to hear from you again soon!**

 **Thank you all so much for your reviews and support! I hope you all are having a good day so far, and if not (like me) I hope this update and suspense helps you feel better! I love you all so much!**

 **So, without further adieu, the next part!**

Part 14

"Hazel, is everything alright?" Dex asked as I entered the living room after my second hurl-fest of the day. I forced on a smile and nodded as I sat beside him.

"Of course. But, I am kind of hungry. Is dinner ready yet?" I had no idea how long I had left. But I was feeling weaker by the hour. I was terrified. I didn't want to leave Dex, or any of my other friends. I was scared to find out what happens after I fall asleep and never wake up again.

"Yeah, it should be done soon," he told me. I looked down at my hands and saw that there were shaking, so I sat down on them before Dex could take one of them, ignoring the hurt look on his face. My stomach felt genuinely empty. I needed something to eat, but I felt that I wouldn't be able to keep it down. I avoided eye contact with everyone, keeping a smile plastered on my face and trying to act normal.

But I'm sure Dex sensed something was wrong.

…

Something was wrong. _Definitely_ wrong. Hazel seemed paler than usual. She had drops of sweat on her forehead, and her breaths seemed forced. And, when I reached for her hand, she sat down on both of hers instead. She never does that. Maybe I was reading too much into it. Maybe her body is just getting used to the elvin air again. I knew it was a stretch, but it was a possibility.

"Alright, kids, dinner's ready," my mom said, peeking her head through the entrance with a smile. Her eyes flickered to Hazel, and she immediately frowned. "Oh my, Hazel, what's wrong?"

So I wasn't the only one who saw it?

"I was thinking the same thing," Sophie said quietly.

"What? No, no, no. I-I'm fine!" Hazel answered quickly with a shake of her head. "I'm just hungry, that's all."

My mom seemed as skeptical as I felt, but she nodded slowly. "Well, then, I suppose it's a good thing dinner's ready. Come on."

…

Just as I thought, I couldn't keep my dinner down. Twenty minutes in, I excused myself to the bathroom and hurled again.

"Stupid elixir," I muttered, rinsing my mouth. "I still need food, you know." I looked up at my reflection, not liking what I was seeing. I felt as cold as I looked. I was shivering, my hands couldn't stop shaking. My face was paling. Sweat was trickling down my neck. Even my hair looked like it was losing its color, which was strange. I suddenly felt dizzy and lost my balance, collapsing with a soft thud. I just hoped nobody heard it.

I staggered back up, concluding that I should just get some rest and that I'll feel better in the morning . . . if I wake up tomorrow morning.

"Hazel? Is everything okay?" I heard Dex ask me as I made my way to my room. I hadn't realized that dinner was over.

"What? Oh, yeah. I'm just feeling a little tired, that's all," I tried to assure him as he walked closer. Worry was etched between his brows as he cupped my face, studying it.

"Hazel, you're worrying me." He frowned, picking up a lock of my hair between his fingertips. "Have you light leaped without your nexus on?"

"No, why?" I haven't light leaped at all since I got there.

"Hm, I'm sure it's nothing. Nevermind," he answered, though, he didn't seem convinced. I closed the rest of the space between us and hugged him around the waist, resting my head against his chest and whispering, "Dex, I'm fine, I promise." His hands slipped around my back as he buried his face in my hair.

"If you're sure . . ."

"I'm sure," I lied, pulling away and looking up at him with a smile. "I think I'm just gonna go get some rest. I'll see you in the morning, okay?" He nodded slowly, as if he was unsure about something. I brought my hand up to his face. "Dex, I'm okay. I promise." I made sure to control my emotions, not letting any sadness seep through. I leaned up on my toes and kissed him as if it were the last. When I pulled back, he blinked, whispering, "Woah." I breathed out a laugh.

"I love you, you know that, right?" I asked quietly.

"Of course I do. I love you too." That was all I needed to hear. I kissed his cheek gently before pulling away and going back into my room, not even looking back at him because I knew it would hurt too much.

…

"She's dead?" Alina faked a gasp. "But . . . but how?"

"We can't find any cause of death," Elwin said reluctantly. "Perhaps she . . ."

"She didn't kill herself," Dex interjected. "She wouldn't! And, even if she was _thinking_ about it, she would've said something!"

Alina clicked her tongue against the roof of her mouth. "Humans have strange minds indeed. Mr. Dizznee, I am very sorry for your loss, but I'm afraid that you and your family are going to have to come with me."

Six huge goblins seemed to appear out of nowhere and grabbed the Dizznee family, taking them away as they kicked and screamed.

"No! Let me go! She's not dead!" Dex screamed, tears streaming down his face. "She's not dead!"

The sentence rang out over and over again in Hazel's mind, making her wake up, startled and in a cold sweat.

"Dex?" She mumbled. They promised that they wouldn't hurt his family. But, they took him away. "Ugh! Alina, damn you!" she began screaming, throwing her pillows off her bed, trying to believe that she was still alive. But . . . that dream seemed so real.

"Hazel? Hazel! Woah, what's wrong?" Dex came running in through the door, shutting it behind him and rushing to her side. "Hazel, baby, calm down. What's going on?" He took her into his arms, feeling her shake and shiver against him. He hugged her tighter, whispering things to calm her down, worry spiraling in his mind. Why was she freaking out like this? "Hazel, it's okay. I'm here. It's okay."

"No, no it's not. They took you. They were gonna hurt you and your family-my family," she sobbed.

"Who? What are you talking about?"

She pulled away suddenly, grabbing him by the shoulders and looking up at him with pure terror contaminating her beautiful hazel eyes. "The Council! Alina! Dex, I'm . . . I'm dying!"

Dex froze, and so did Hazel. She seemed to catch her breath, their eyes locking, waiting for something to happen.

"What?" Now Dex was shaking. Hazel's eyes watered, and she fell back against his chest, shaking uncontrollably, making him wrap his arms around her. "Hazel?" His voice was barely a whisper.

"I'm . . . I'm dying . . ."

 **A/N) DUN DUN DUUUUUUUUUUUUN! Yay! Dex found out! Maybe now, they could actually** _ **do**_ **something about it. Sorry this chapter was so short (again). But if you** _ **really**_ **wanna read more of my stuff, then check out my other stories, Caught in Between (my most popular) and The One-shots of an Undecided13! I've gotta get going. Things are . . . happening. Don't forget to review!**

 **Peace out, m'peeps!**


	16. Chapter 15

**A/N) I have returned with the next part! Yay! But now, answers to reviews!**

 **stargirl020: Yes FINALLY! I can feel your remorse from all the way over here. Thank you!**

 **A very obsessed fangirl: UH, who said she wasn't going to die? Because I SURE DIDN'T. Unless I did and I just forgot. I have a horrible memory. *shrugs* Meh. Haha, no she didn't listen. Thanks!**

 **Hi: Ooh! Yay you reviewed again! Yes, you spelled it right! Reviews usually go in no matter what. It's just a matter of whether you're a guest or a member, and when you're a guest, the author of the story has to moderate (approve) th reviews and see whether they want to put it up or not. So I just took a while to put yours up because I'm lazy. And thank you! I'll definitely keep writing! I love to write. It's like an escape, as well as reading. Oh, good! Glad you'll check out my others fanfics. Also, are you hyperventilating right now? I'm sorry! SOMEONE GET THIS READER SOME OXYGEN! STAT! You should be okay now. Thank you!**

 **LionRulersRoar: Hm . . . perhaps. I dunno. You're probably right and I'm just being stubborn. Thank you!**

 **Thank you all for your reviews! Also, if we get four more reviews, we'll have reached fifty! So please please review! Anyway, I should probably get on with the story. You guys are probably mad at me for not updating this Saturday. SORRY I WAS BUSY I HAVE A LIFE YOU KNOW! But I'm updating now! Unless you want me to wait until** _ **next**_ **week . . .**

 **Heheh, just kidding! (Please don't kill me) Also, MILESTONES, PEOPLE! PART 15! YAY!**

 **Sorry if there are any typos or anything in this part, I was lazy and in a hurry, heheh.**

 **So, without further adieu, the next part!**

Part 15

I explained everything to Dex. About Alina, about when I took the elixir, what it was doing to me. And he listened to all of it. I couldn't look at him, so I just stayed there against his chest with his arms wrapped around me, waiting for him to let go, to push me away in anger. But he never did. I felt him shaking, his breaths shallow as he tightened his grip around me. I felt wet drops fall onto my hair as he buried his face on top of my head. I cried, too.

"I'm sorry," I whispered after I finished. "I'm so sorry. You weren't supposed to find out about this." I pulled away from his warm embrace, the cold air around me pricking my bare arms.

"You weren't going to tell me?" He asked, his voice small.

I shook my head, another tear falling. "I couldn't. I needed to keep you safe. I didn't want them to hurt you."

"Hazel." He waited until I finally looked up at him. He raised a gentle hand to my face, brushing away my tears the moment they fell. In the dark of the room, I could still see his periwinkle gaze in the rays of moonlight seeping through the curtains, his eyes full of love and concern. It made my heart swell. "They already have."

They were three simple words, one small sentence said in a mere whisper. But they broke my heart.

"This is all my fault," I muttered. "I'm so sorry. I shouldn't . . . I wish . . . I never should have gone to Phili Fillers that day. I should have stayed home with my mom. I've been nothing but trouble for you and your family." I pulled up the blanket around me, burying my face into the soft cloth as if to hide from Dex. I wanted to cry again, but I just couldn't. I was too mad at myself. I was probably such a disappointment to Dex . . .

…

I watched as she dove into the blankets, shaking with fear and anger. I didn't want her to be angry, I didn't want her to be scared.

I didn't want her to die.

I knew that I needed to be strong. I should tell her that she wasn't trouble for me and my family, because she wasn't. She was . . . a gift. A blessing. She was mine, and no one else's. And I wasn't about to lose her to death.

But I couldn't find the words. I opened my mouth to speak, to comfort her, but all that came out was a small sob. I was breaking. The realization that I was _actually_ going to lose her at any given moment was coming down on me like a hailstorm. I can't believe the Council-no, that _Alina_ would do something like this. I never liked her, ever since my first day at Foxfire. Thank goodness Leto's our Magnate now.

Hazel lifted her pretty red head, looking up at me with concern filling her glassy hazel eyes. As soon as she noticed a tear falling down my own face, the blanket fell from her shoulders as she stood on her knees, reaching to wrap her arms around me.

"No, no, don't cry," she cooed, one arm around my shoulders and the other coming farther up, her hand resting on the back of my head. Her chin rested by her hand as she brushed her fingers back and forth through my hair. "Dex, please don't cry."

But I couldn't help it. Once I felt her touch, I collapsed into a heap of sobs against her chest, my arms clinging to her waist and back. She sat back on her knees, letting me lean against her, holding me tightly as I broke. My nose filled with her sweet, cinnamon-like scent-my favorite scent in the world. It made my mind go back to the day when I first brought her to the Lost Cities for our one-year dating anniversary. Maybe . . . maybe this entire thing was my fault. I never should have spoken to her in that alleyway. Otherwise she wouldn't be . . . dying.

My mind went blank, only buzzing out two words.

 _She's dying._

Over and over again it rang out through my head, making the tears fall even more. I felt bad for getting her tunic so wet, but . . .

A new sentence vibrated in the back of my head. It seemed like it was buried, and I needed to dig it out, but I was too sad, too heartbroken.

"I'm sorry, Dex," I heard Hazel whisper.

 _No. It wasn't your fault, Hazel. Don't blame yourself, it was all me._ The thoughts trigger for the sentence to come out, shining a bright light through my mind and causing me to catch my breath.

 _But you can save her._

I froze, Hazel continuing to comfort me, holding me against her as my mind buzzed. I could save her? Maybe . . . maybe I could. I was a whiz at alchemy, maybe I could make some sort of concoction to break the virus that was killing Hazel. If I could, I would save her. I would fix the problem that I'd started. I would prove to Alina that-as cheesy as it sounds-you can't hold anyone back when their in love, whether it was romantic or platonic. And with the help of my dad, and maybe even Rex with his creativity, we had at least a 70% chance to save her. But those were just rough numbers; I'd have to do the real calculations once I knew what we were dealing with.

I pulled away from Hazel abruptly, my eyes wide and wild, my breaths short as the plan formed in further in my mind.

"Dex?" Hazel asked, lifting a gentle hand to my face and wiping away the moisture on my cheeks. "Dex, what's wrong?"

I looked straight into her beautiful eyes and whispered, "I can save you." I didn't like getting her hopes up, but it just came out. Her eyebrows furrowed together.

"What?"

I jumped off the bed and paced back and forth, muttering a bunch of alchemy and techy nonsense that she didn't understand. But I understood it perfectly. She cautiously slipped towards the edge of the bed, slowly standing as she watched me with concern. I turned back to her after my science rant and repeated it more confidently this time, "I can save you!"

"Dex, what are you talking about?"

I walked back towards her, my mind running and the wheels turning. "Hazel, if I can find out what Alina gave you, I can figure out a counter-concoction and get rid of whatever's killing you!"

"But, Dex, i-if you do that, then-" she seemed scared and worried, but I cut her off, grabbing her shoulders and locking eyes with her.

"I don't care what happens to me-and I'm sure everyone else feels the same way. But as long as you're safe, then I'll be fine. If the Council tries to do anything, and I mean _anything_ , we'll beat them. After all, I've told you about how me and my friends totally kicked the Neverseen's butt, haven't I?" I grinned as hope flared in her eyes.

"You'd really do that for me?" She asked softly.

I tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear, cupping a hand under her chin as I answered, "Hazel, for you, I would do _anything_."

We stood there for a moment, lost in each other's eyes when I suddenly remembered what I had just been talking about. I let her go, racing towards the door, saying, "I've gotta wake up my dad. We have no idea when that elixir could take you, or how long making this remedy could take." I continued rambling, my hand on the doorknob when Hazel called out, "Dex."

I turned back, silencing myself as she walked towards me. She stood on her toes, one of her hands on my shoulder as she whispered, "Thank you," and pressed her lips against mine. A shock of tingles starting from my mouth went down to my toes as I slipped an arm around her waist, pulling her closer. My eyes fluttered shut as we locked lips, her hands tracing up to my face and through my hair. I wanted to stay there with her forever, but I realized that she didn't exactly _have_ a forever anymore. I finally managed to pull back, saying, "As much as I enjoyed that, I need to get to work." She giggled, a surprised sound coming out of her mouth when I pecked her forehead and then her lips twice before finally opening the door.

I raced out into the hall, Hazel standing in the doorway with a small smile on her face. I _had_ to save her. Otherwise . . . my life would never be the same.

 **A/N) Yes, Dex! YOU HAVE TO SAVE HER AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!**

 **Sorry that was so short! I was having writer's block (UGH). But hey, at least I uploaded** _ **something**_ **. I TRIED, OKAY? Anyway, thank you all so much for reading! Again, sorry this took so long and that it was so short! I have no idea how many more parts are gonna be in this stories. I think it might be up to 20 parts in total.** _ **Please don't hate me or kill me or come and mob me. Or spam me**_. **STORIES NEED TO END AT** _ **SOME**_ **POINT! I'm sorryyyyy!**

 **But, anyway, please review and help me get to fifty reviews! Out of all my stories, this is the least popular one, but I'm glad that those who read it like it! So thank you!**

 **Peace out, m'peeps!**


	17. Chapter 16

**A/N) Hello, my wonderfuls! I'm not dead! I just haven't posted in a few weeks, that's all! Yay! I'm back! Too many exclamation points! And now, answers to reviews!**

 **Hi: Huh. Stella. I like it. And, you're right, Writer's Block sucks. And it would be** _ **super**_ **boring if stories just kept going and going and going. That's why I need to end this one soon. *feigns a sniff so you all would believe I'm sad* But I actually will miss writing this story. And seeing all of my wonderful readers' reviews! About that question? You should probably just finish reading the one-shots. You should know the answer by then. I'd rather not go through trying to explain it again on a different story. Sorry. But thanks for your review! I hope to hear from you on my other stories soon!**

 **WritingLover21: Eh, it's fine. I never listen, anyway. But good to know you see me that way. THAAAAAAAANKS! Haha.**

 **LionRulersRoar: I hate to break it to ya, but it's true. PEOPLE ARE CRAZY NOWADAYS! Haha, that's hilarious. I'm taking that last statement as a compliment. Because it is. I feel like being a fangirl (though, I've never really seen myself as one) might be what's making me such a good writer. At least, you guys seem to think I'm a good writer. *shrugs* Thanks for your review!**

 **A very obsessed fangirl: YOU COULD NEVER DO ANYTHING WORSE THAN WHAT I DO TO YOU ALREADY! FIGHT ME. Yay! You keep making my milestones a reality. Thank you!**

 **I got two other reviews, but they weren't on the most recent chapter, so I won't be responding because I'm not sure if you've reached this chapter yet, but if you have, thank you for reviewing!**

 **Alright, I should get on with the story, don't you think? Yeah, I should.**

 **So, without further adieu, the next part!**

Part 16

I knew that to accomplish a task as big as saving Hazel from a lethal elixir, I would need all the help and minds that I could get. And that's what resulted in me running down the halls and banging on doors shouting, "EVERYBODY GET UP! I NEED YOU GUYS _NOW!"_ while Hazel just stood at her bedroom doorway, a hand covering the grin on her plastered on her mouth. It made me smile too, and so did the courage and hope that I could actually save her.

"Dex? It's like, three in the morning?" Biana yawned uncertainly as she came out of her guest room. Sophie came out of her room next door, looking a bit more awake. I barely acknowledged the fact that Fitz came shyly out of the same room as Linh, or the way he muttered, "I swear we weren't doing anything." Biana raised a suspicious eyebrow, but I'm sure they were telling the truth. Keefe and Tam were the last to get up out of their rooms, both of their heads of hair somehow still in perfect condition. The triplets all filed out sleepily from the same room, just as confused as everyone else.

I ran upstairs to the third floor, my parents' private floor and chambers.

"DAD! WAKE UP! I NEED YOU!" I called, sprinting to their huge room as the end of the hall and barging through the door, causing them to sit up in surprise from their enormous bed.

"Dex? What's the matter?" My mom asked, slipping out from under the covers. My dad threw back his side of the blankets, both of my parents grabbing their robes and tying them on over their pajamas.

"Dex, what is it, son?" My dad asked me, concern clear in his tired eyes.

"Dad," I said, gasping for breath between words, "it's Hazel. She . . . Alina . . ." I finally caught my breath and he took my shoulders.

"Dex, you're worrying me," he told me, my mom standing behind him.

I bobbed my chin down, taking in one more breath before telling them, "Councillor Alina gave Hazel an elixir that would make her die after blackmailing her to keep us safe." The words came out really jumbled and didn't really make any sense, and I had to repeat what I'd said. "Councillor Alina blackmailed Hazel into taking an elixir that would kill her! I need your help making an antidote!" Desperation clung to the edges of my voice, the emotion probably evident in my eyes. "Please, Dad. I need you."

He was frozen in shock, my mother covering her mouth with her hand after sucking in a sharp gasp. His grip on my shoulders tightened, fire blazing in his eyes.

"That idiotic Council! Always causing trouble for us-" he started to grumble.

"No, Dad, it was just Alina," I interrupted. "The rest of the Council didn't know."

"Well, they definitely knew what they were doing when they took Hazel away from us!" Mom retorted. She came up closer to me, her fingers reaching towards my hand and brushing my palm. "Where is she?"

"Her room." My mom hurried out to check on Hazel, and my dad told me that we would need a sample of the elixir Hazel drank before making an antidote. But when we mentioned it to Hazel . . .

"I threw it off the balcony after I drank it," she told me, my heart sinking.

"Threw what off the balcony?" Sophie asked.

"Yeah, what are you guys talking about?" Bex asked tiredly. Everyone seemed to be curious, as well. Dex didn't know how to say it with Hazel being right there. He didn't want to embarrass her, but when he glanced over at his girlfriend, he was at a loss for words when he saw the determination and courage in her pretty hazel eyes.

"When I was taken," she started, taking my hand and intertwining our fingers together, "Alina threatened to do . . . horrible things the Dex and his family. And you guys, too." Several scowls were seen on the others faces. "She said that, unless I drank an elixir that would . . . eventually, kill me, then she would come after you." She glanced up at me, giving my hand a slight squeeze as realization settled over the others.

"Hazel," Biana breathed. "You don't mean . . ." Hazel nodded, and Biana immediately came to her and hugged her, causing Hazel to release my hand in the process.

"I thought you looked a little under-the-weather, but I thought you were just tired," Linh added quietly. Sophie came closer to Hazel as Biana pulled away, the dark-haired girl's eyes watery.

"We'll get through this, I promise," Sophie said to Hazel, giving her hand a reassuring squeeze.

"I . . . I don't want you to die," Keefe said quietly after a few moments of silence. He made his way over to her and ruffled her hair, trying to smile for her. "I can't lose one of my buddies."

"Alina's gonna pay," Tam added, the shadows around us darkening.

"You bet she is," Fitz agreed. The fact that all of my friends cared about Hazel this way definitely warmed my heart. Especially when the triplets crowded around Hazel, clinging to her.

"No! I don't want you to die!" Bex cried.

"Who's gonna be my dance partner?" Lex sniffed.

"No one else is brave enough to test out my elixirs except for you!" Rex told her. All of them had tears in their eyes, making me see a new side of the triplets that I've never seen.

"None of us want Hazel to go," my dad eventually intervened. "But if we want to save her, we need to start working right away." He turned to the us boys. "Boys, I need you to search the area below Hazel's balcony for any trace of the bottle she threw. There's a 20% chance that I can salvage some of the elixir from a few shards of the glass. If possible, try to find the entire bottom of the vial. There should be some remains of the elixir in there." We all nodded, glancing at each other in the process. He turned to the girls. "I need you young ladies to gather a few ingredients for me to make an elixir to slow down the virus inside Hazel. It won't kill it, but, based on her symptoms, I should be able to come up with something to give us enough time to make a definite antidote." He gave them a string of ingredients and told them to meet at the lab. "Bex, you know where it is. And, Dex, when you find the shards, meet us at the lab, as well."

So we kind of sort of had a set plan. That was better than what I'd hoped for. I had to save Hazel. I just had to.

Everyone dispersed to their separate assignments, but I stayed behind with Hazel, taking her by the shoulders and locking eyes with her. She looked weaker and paler by the second.

"Are you feeling okay?" I asked her. "If you want, I can stay here with you, and-"

"Dex, I'm fine. I'll go with the rest of the girls to find what your dad needs." Her eyes shone off sincerity, causing me to believe her. I ducked down and kissed her lips briefly before pulling back. "The last thing I wanna do is leave you." She raised a gentle hand to my face, brushing off a tear that I hadn't realized had fallen.

"I know. Don't worry." She gave me a small smile before leaning up on her toes and pecking my cheek. "I love you."

"I love you too. Don't ever forget."

 **A/N) Don't worry, Dex, she won't. NOT IF I CAN HELP IT. Alright, I'm not in the mood for a fancy outro. Also, sorry if there are any typos or mistakes in this chapter. Once again, I'm too lazy to proofread anything right now. Thank you all so much for reading! Don't forget to review! Again, I'm sorry this came out so late. And that it was kind of a filler chapter. Don't hate me. I love you all!**

 **Peace out, m'peeps!**


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